Serbian politician accuses police of misusing force

BELGRADE, July 30 (Itar-Tass) - Secretary General of Serbia's Radical Party, Alexander Vucic, has accused the authorities and President Boris Tadic personally of misusing brute force during the dispersal of street riots that broke out in Belgrade late night Tuesday in the wake of protests against the arrest of the highly popular former political leader of Bosnian Serbs, Radovan Karadzic.

Vucic, who was narrowly short of winning the post of Belgrade mayor in a recent local election, apportioned all blame for the situation onBelgrade streets to Tadic and Interior Minister Ivica Dacic.

He said he himself had been struck with a rubber baton four times.

The gendarmes beat the protesters without looking at whom their strikes fell on, Vucic said, adding however the most important thing was that he and other politicians risked their own health and safety to stopthe disorders.

He said he did not have any doubts over the fact clashes between the protesters and the police had burst out as a result of a provocation, but admitted however that a part of the blame also lay on some 'ungovernable'participants in the protests.

A total of thirteen policemen and fifteen civilians were taken Tuesday night to the Belgrade Center for Emergency Medical Aid. One of them wasMartinez Forzada, a Spanish correspondent.

Riots on Republic Square broke out during a meeting that brought together 15,000 or so people protesting against Dr Kadardzic's arrest and forthcoming deportation to the Hague tribunal for war crimes in the former Yugoslavia A group of youngsters separated from the crowd and started smashingwindows in the building of the House of Youth.

Policemen had to use tear gas and smoke grenades to disperse the crowdand the demonstrators retaliated with throwing blazing torches.

The clashes took place near the headquarters of President Tadic'sDemocratic Party.