Serbian-Canadians protested Kosovo's independence movement outside the U.S. consulate in Toronto on Saturday, the first in a series of planned demonstrations in several Canadian cities over the next couple of weekends.
More than 2,000 protesters gathered at the downtown campus of the University of Toronto and rallied briefly before marching along University Avenue to the American consulate.
Waving Canadian and Serbian flags, demonstrators sang and spoke out against Kosovo's move to declare independence from Serbia. Protesters also voiced their displeasure with the U.S. for recognizing Kosovo as Europe's newest country.
"It's been Serbia for thousands of years and it has never been anything else, and we want to keep it Serbia -- it is truly the heart of Serbia," said one woman.
Rally organizer Bojan Ratkovic said if Canada recognizes Kosovo as a country, it sets a dangerous precedent.
"It's really against Canada's national interest, because we don't want Quebec separatists using the same precedent in five or 10 years for their own independence," Ratkovic said.
Saturday's demonstration, which came after violent rallies outside the U.S. embassy in Serbia, was peaceful. There was a heavy police presence at the event.
Organizers of the candlelight march had urged protesters to keep the peace outside the legation, which was closed for the day.
American consulate spokesman Nick Giacobbe contacted the RCMP and Toronto police before the event about providing adequate protection for the building, which he said was the responsibility of the Mounties.
Giacobbe said consular officials had learned from a Serbian protest in Toronto in 1999, when demonstrators threw a Molotov cocktail into the consulate building.
On Sunday, Serbian-Canadians are scheduled to protest at Montreal's McGill University and in front of the Vancouver Art Gallery.
Next weekend, protests are set for Ottawa, Calgary and Edmonton.
With a report from CTV Toronto's Roger Petersen and files from The Canadian Press
