Rioters burn U.S. embassy, Serb president urges calm

By Ellie Tzortzi

BELGRADE (Reuters) - Scores of protesters smashed their way into the U.S. embassy in Belgrade on Thursday in anger at Kosovo's independence, ransacking rooms and setting fires before riot police dispersed the crowd.

Police, nowhere to be seen earlier as the building was attacked, moved in half an hour later, firing teargas and beating and detaining rioters.

Local media said more than 30 people were injured, half of them police, and taken to hospital.

Police in armored vans secured the streets and tried to cordon off the whole embassy district. Local agencies reported attacks on missions of several other countries, among them Britain, Croatia, Bosnia and Turkey.

People tried to flee clouds of painful teargas. Police helicopters flew over the area.

Serbian President Boris Tadic urged rioters to stop.

"I appeal to our citizens to protest calmly. All those who take part in the unrest I want to withdraw from the streets and stop attacking foreign embassies," he said on a visit to Romania, according to Beta news agency.

"This only keeps Kosovo distant from Serbia."