Belgrade - A massive crowd gathered in Belgrade Thursday as Serbs rallied against the independence of Kosovo and behind their leaders' hard confrontation with the West supportive of the breakaway province. More than 200,000 people packed the large plateau, eight-lane boulevard and a park in front of the national assembly even before the rally started, with columns of people still converging.
It was by far the largest gathering since the October 2000 protest which toppled the late strongman leader Slobodan Milosevic.
The "Kosovo is Serbia" rally was called to back Serbia's claim of property on Kosovo, in which the majority Albanian leaders declared independence on Sunday with the blessing of Western powers.
Serbia's largest parties - the ruling Democratic Party (DS) and Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) of President Boris Tadic and Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica, and the ultra-nationalist Serbian Radical Party (SRS) in opposition - called the protest.
"Kosovo belongs to Serbia. Kosovo belongs to Serbian people. It was so since ever and it will be so forever," the normally reserved Kostunica virtually screamed into the microphone.
"No force, no threats or promises can change that," he said. Kostunica had frozen Serbia's approach to European Union membership in protest at Western support of Kosovo, branding the presumed exchange of Kosovo for membership of EU an "indecent proposal."
SRS leader Tomislav Nikolic, a former high-ranking member of Milosevic's regime was appointed to speak on behalf of all parliamentary parties. Tadic was absent, on a visit to Romania.
Nikolic said that he would "not rest until Kosovo returns to Serbia's control."
Kosovo has been under a United Nations and NATO protectorate since NATO ousted Milosevic's forces from there in 1999. The EU is now deploying a law-enforcing mission in Kosovo to help its first sovereign steps, in a move that has enraged Belgrade.
"Hitler could not take Kosovo and neither will these of today," Nikolic said, warning Europe that "as many people as we have here today" could march on Kosovo.
Tennis star Novak Djokovic was expected to address the rally over a phone. The two-times Cannes laureate film director Emir Kusturica and retired basketball star Dejan Bodiroga were to speak from the stage along with politicians, scholars and communal leaders.
Serbian authorities organized and financed free transport by bus and train from throughout Serbia for people wanting to take part. Factories were closed and schools dismissed for the day and cheerful high school students made up a major part of the crowd.
Following riots of hooligans targeting Western embassies and businesses in the wake of Kosovo's declaration of independence on Sunday, authorities appealed for a "dignified" rally and warned that police would move swiftly against anybody causing disorder.
Leaflets calling for the boycott of products and businesses from countries that have recognized Kosovo - which would in the end be most of the West - were handed out to the crowd.
After the speeches, the crowd was to march two kilometres to the St. Sava temple to take part in a public prayer for Serbs remaining in Kosovo, dominated by a 90-per-cent Albanian majority.
