The Montenegrin police has banned any gatherings in front of the national parliament in Podgorica during the debate on the draft law on freedom of confession.

“Any possible gathering not in line with the law on public gatherings will be sanctioned and the organizers will bear the consequences under the law,” a police statement said following calls in the media for gatherings during the debate on the controversial law which has drawn protests in several places in Montenegro.  

The opposition Democratic Front has called its followers to gather in front of the parliament building, saying they had received a blessing from Serbian Orthodox Churc Patriarch Irinej. Democratic Front said that its MPs will take part in the debate after its leaders Milan Knezevic and Andrija Mandic were flown to Belgrade in a Serbian state aircraft to meet with the Patriarch, the media reported.  

Opponents of the draft law claim that its purpose is to seize monasteries and other properties of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Montenegro. The Serbian Orthodox Church has been present in Montenegro for centuries since a large part of the Slav population of that country considered themselves to be Serbs and Orthodox Christians. Montenegro has a large minority of Serbs.