BELGRADE, June 22. /TASS/. Congregation of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Montenegro took to the streets in country’s capital city of Podgorica, as well as a number of others, to engage in special protest processions, Serbian Orthodox Church’s Metropolitanate of Montenegro and the Littoral press service said Sunday.

Ahead of the procession, Metropolitan Bishop Amfilohije Radovic called on the congregation to comply with personal health protection guidelines.

The congregation of the Serbian Orthodox Church (SOC) conduct mass protests in Montenegro, Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Republika Srpska against oppression of the SOC in Montenegro, where, on December 27, 2019, the parliament passed a controversial Freedom of Religion Law. The law was passed by 45 lawmakers out of 45 present: the police detained all opposition lawmakers. On December 28, President of Montenegro Milo Djukanovich signed the bill into law.

The President accused SOC of an attempt to retain religious monopoly in the country. He claimed that he will seek autocephaly for the "church of Montenegro" similarly to Ukraine. The Freedom of Religion Law also involves confiscation of over sanctuaries from SOC to the state, including the Ostrog monastery, widely known in the Orthodox world.