Serbs try to storm U.S. Consulate

Some bystanders returning from the peaceful part of the protest yelled at the rioters "shame on you," and one man, apparently a former Bosnian Serb soldier, shouted "this is not what I fought for."

The incident occurred despite repeated calls by organizers to hold a peaceful protest against Kosovo's independence. Police secured diplomatic missions in the city and warned it would use all legal means to prevent violence.

Bosnian Serbs angry at Washington
Last week, a similar incident occurred when a crowd of mostly teenagers tried to storm the buildings of the U.S., German and French consulates and burned the flags of those countries. The U.S. ambassador to Bosnia closed the consulate temporarily.

Loyal to Serbia, Bosnian Serbs are angry at Washington for supporting Kosovo's independence.

On Tuesday, the protest begun peacefully as participants only gathered at the main square in downtown Banja Luka, carrying Serbian flags, pictures of Russian President Vladimir Putin and banners stating "No America." At least one U.S. flag had a scribbled Nazi swastika over it.

Bosnian Serb Prime Minister Milorad Dodik addressed the peaceful crowd and said this will be the way Serbs will always react to injustice.

"As long as we live here, we will not recognize Kosovo as independent," he said.

Bosnia consists of two mini-states, one run by Bosnian Serbs, the other by Bosniaks and Croats. The Bosnian Serb parliament has condemned Kosovo's move and said it will consider a referendum to secede from Bosnia if more countries recognize Pristina's government.

(c) AP

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