The Zabjelo incident triggered a wave of protests framed as citizens’ defense actions. However, the background of these gatherings was clerical-nationalist in nature, as confirmed by the slogans heard during the rallies—many of which were rife with hate speech and xenophobia. Political party statements, reporting by pro-Serbian media outlets in Montenegro, as well as Serbian regime-affiliated media, known for spreading disinformation and false narratives, all contributed to heightening tensions