{"id":54095,"date":"2023-05-29T10:49:31","date_gmt":"2023-05-29T08:49:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/euronews.al\/en\/?p=54095"},"modified":"2023-05-29T17:07:40","modified_gmt":"2023-05-29T15:07:40","slug":"tensions-in-north-kosovo-serbs-chant-national-songs-in-front-of-municipal-buildings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/euronews.al\/en\/tensions-in-north-kosovo-serbs-chant-national-songs-in-front-of-municipal-buildings\/","title":{"rendered":"Groups of Serbs continue protests in Kosovo’s northern municipalities"},"content":{"rendered":"
Groups of Serb citizens in the north of Kosovo continue protesting in front of municipal buildings in Zve\u010dan, Leposavi\u0107 and Zubin Potok to stop the newly elected Albanian mayors from entering offices. They were seen this Monday morning, chanting national songs in front of the buildings, claiming \u201cKosovo is the heart of Serbia\u201d.<\/p>\n
Officers of the Kosovo Police and KFOR were seen patrolling municipal buildings, while there are reports of teargas being used in the municipality of Zve\u010dan. Kosovo Police said that \u201cprotesters tried passing through safety cords to force their entry in the municipal building, while using violence and teargas. Police had to use legal means such as sprays to disperse them and put the situation under control.\u201d<\/p>\n
Igor Simi\u0107 of the Serb List, the largest Serbian party in Kosovo, was also seen in these protests and he warned they would not leave until the Albanian mayors have retreated.<\/p>\n
Leader Goran Raki\u0107 previously said they have forwarded two requests to KFOR representatives and foreign ambassadors in Pristina, that all \u201cillegal mayors and special units retreat from the municipal buildings\u201d.<\/p>\n
Journalists on field report that empty bottles were thrown in Raki\u0107\u2019s direction, as the latter asked protesters in Zve\u010dan to make way for two vehicles of the special unite of the Kosovo Police to pass through. Enraged protesters did not budge, shouting \u201ctreason\u201d to Raki\u0107.<\/p>\nPhoto courtesy: Maja Ficovic (RFE\/RL)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Meanwhile, alarm sirens were heard in Zubin Potok, where Serb citizens continue to protest.<\/p>\n
Two of the mayors, namely Izmir Zeqiri, elected mayor in Zubin Potok and Ilir Peci, elected mayor in Zve\u010dan were seen in a meeting with the U.S. Ambassador to Pristina Jeffrey Hovenier, at the European Union Office in the capital city.<\/p>\n
Speaking to the media after the meeting, Ambassador Hovenier said he had discussed the current situation in the north of Kosovo.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe discussed how they [the mayors] can fulfill their duties, in serving all citizens, in a responsible manner. Such thing, according to us, does not meet forced entry in municipal buildings. It is important to avoid situations where public officials force their entry in public buildings through means of force,\u201d said Hovenier, adding that the position is supported by other countries of the QUINT besides the United States; United Kingdom, Italy, France and Germany.<\/p>\n
The meeting was also attended by the EU Ambassador to Kosovo Toma\u0301s\u030c Szunyog. Meanwhile, Hovenier also met with Kosovo\u2019s President Vjosa Osmani to discuss on the situation in the north.<\/p>\nPhoto courtesy: Emre Tazegul (AP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Previously, Serbia\u2019s President Aleksandar Vu\u010di\u0107 declared that the situation in the north of Kosovo is \u201cthe most difficult so far\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am afraid of instability, even of major conflicts, because I know that the Serbs cannot endure anymore, while he [Kosovo\u2019s Prime Minister Albin Kurti] dreams of being [Ukraine\u2019s President, Volodymyr] Zelensky,\u201d Vu\u010di\u0107 told local media in Serbia.<\/p>\n
Serbian Minister of Foreign Affairs Ivica Da\u010di\u0107 declared that it is KFOR\u2019s duty \u201cto impede unilateral actions from Pristina\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey cannot be mayors in Serb municipalities, because Serbs did not elect them,\u201d said Da\u010di\u0107 to local Serbian media, referring to the Albanian mayors elected in the April 23rd<\/sup> special local elections held in the four northern municipalities, largely boycotted by Serbs.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Serbia\u2019s Armed Forces remain at the highest level of combat readiness until further notice, due to the situation in the north.<\/p>\n
On May 26th<\/sup>, groups of local Serbs in the north protested against the newly elected Albanian mayors of Leposavi\u0107, Zve\u010dan and Zubin Potok, while clashing with the Kosovo Police. The latter assisted the new mayors in entering municipal buildings after being sworn in to assume their duties.<\/p>\n
The international community condemned the decision and considered it \u201cforced entry\u201d, calling on the Government of Kosovo \u201cto refrain from further taking unilateral and destabilizing actions.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kosovo\u2019s Prime Minister Albin Kurti said that he understands concerns coming from international partners, however, \u201cevery other option would be non-fulfillment of constitutional obligations.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":54096,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[163],"tags":[1689,817,1098,150,243,151,383,791,2203,2047,1250,787],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
Groups of Serbs continue protests in Kosovo's northern municipalities - Euronews Albania<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/euronews.al\/en\/tensions-in-north-kosovo-serbs-chant-national-songs-in-front-of-municipal-buildings\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Groups of Serbs continue protests in Kosovo's northern municipalities - Euronews Albania\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/euronews.al\/en\/tensions-in-north-kosovo-serbs-chant-national-songs-in-front-of-municipal-buildings\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Euronews Albania\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/euronews.al\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-05-29T08:49:31+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-05-29T15:07:40+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/euronews.al\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/north-kosovo-3.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1597\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1198\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Euronews Albania\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@euronewsalbania\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@euronewsalbania\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Euronews Albania\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/euronews.al\/en\/tensions-in-north-kosovo-serbs-chant-national-songs-in-front-of-municipal-buildings\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/euronews.al\/en\/tensions-in-north-kosovo-serbs-chant-national-songs-in-front-of-municipal-buildings\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Euronews Albania\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/euronews.al\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/40904b56ee024949b80be8199e47e27d\"},\"headline\":\"Groups of Serbs continue protests in Kosovo’s northern municipalities\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-05-29T08:49:31+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-05-29T15:07:40+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/euronews.al\/en\/tensions-in-north-kosovo-serbs-chant-national-songs-in-front-of-municipal-buildings\/\"},\"wordCount\":697,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/euronews.al\/en\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/euronews.al\/en\/tensions-in-north-kosovo-serbs-chant-national-songs-in-front-of-municipal-buildings\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/euronews.al\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/north-kosovo-3.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"dacic\",\"KFOR\",\"kosovo serbs\",\"Kryesor 1\",\"kryesore 1\",\"Kryesoret\",\"kurti\",\"NATO\",\"North Kosovo\",\"tensions\",\"USA\",\"vucic\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Kosovo\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/euronews.al\/en\/tensions-in-north-kosovo-serbs-chant-national-songs-in-front-of-municipal-buildings\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/euronews.al\/en\/tensions-in-north-kosovo-serbs-chant-national-songs-in-front-of-municipal-buildings\/\",\"name\":\"Groups of Serbs continue protests in Kosovo's northern municipalities - 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