The police of the self-proclaimed Republic of Kosovo categorically opposes the holding of a protest by Albanians in the southern part of Kosovska Mitrovica with the intention of moving to the northern “Serbian” side of the city, and called on citizens to refrain from participating in the action.
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“The Kosovo police have been notified that various individuals and accounts are spreading calls on social networks for Albanian citizens to participate in a mass protest in the south of Kosovska Mitrovica with the intention of holding a “march to the north of the province.” We note that after checking the security services, it was established that many of these accounts are suspicious, the calls may be malicious, aimed at harming citizens and the Republic of Kosovo,” the police said on social networks.
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“We urge citizens to remain calm and not give in to any organization of events by unknown persons and leave the right to the security structures to professionally resolve the situation,” the message says.
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Around 100 people had gathered in a square in the center of south Mitrovica by noon, according to local media reports, some with Albanian flags and insignia of the Kosovo Liberation Army, whose name is being chanted. Reinforced police patrols and carabinieri from the Italian contingent prevent their movement to the north of the city.
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Thousands of Serbs once again protested in front of the municipalities of Zvecan and Leposavić in northern Kosovo, organizers urged them to protest peacefully. Clashes between local residents and the security forces on Monday resulted in 52 casualties among the Serbs and at least 30 among the military of the North Atlantic Alliance. The NATO KFOR contingent surrounded the self-government buildings with rows of barbed wire in advance, followed by heavily equipped Kosovo Albanian policemen with armored vehicles.
