Kosovo-Serbia border blocked by protesters amid tensions

By ZENEL ZHINIPOTOKU and LLAZAR SEMINI
Associated Press

PRISTINA, Kosovo (AP) — The Kosovo-Serbia border was blocked for a second day by ethnic Kosovo Serbs protesting a decision by Kosovo authorities to start removing Serbian license plates from cars entering the country. The traffic chaos raised fears that it could unleash much deeper tensions between the two Balkan neighbors. Trucks on Tuesday blocked the road to the Jarinje and Brnjak border crossing where small groups of Serbs spent the night in tents. Kosovo authorities said they were only copying a program already used by Serbian police, who say Kosovo license plates are not valid in their nation and make those drivers pay for temporary plates. European and U.S. officials urged both sides to defuse the tensions.