Serbian police ban culture festival with Kosovo as pressure mounts on liberal voices

BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Serbian police have banned a festival that promotes cultural exchange with Kosovo in a sign of growing nationalism and government pressure on liberal voices in the Balkan country. A police statement cited security concerns as the reason to ban the Mirdita, dobar dan event that was due to start later on Thursday in Belgrade with a theater show from Kosovo. Serbia does not recognize the 2008 declaration of independence by its former province which is overwhelmingly ethnic Albanian. The Mirdita, dobar dan festival is organized by youth groups from Serbia and Kosovo seeking to bridge ethnic divisions created by a 1998-99 war and the postwar tensions.