The Kosovo Police reacted with another statement late last night, summarizing the activities in the north of Kosovo – in which they presented their account of what led to the forcible entry into the buildings of the Provisional Authorities in Zvecan, Leposavic and Zubin Potok. According to the KP, residents attacked the officers with stun grenades and „heavy tools“, while the police officers acted in self-defense. Five KP members were injured, and four police cars were damaged, as well as several civilian and EULEX vehicles.
The police once again said that they wer tasked with assisting the mayors in „realizing their right to work“, something that entailed access to official municipal facilities.
„The primary goal of the Kosovo Police was to help and ensure the safety of municipal presidents, to enable the realization of their legitimate rights at the workplace and to ensure the free movement of all persons without distinction,“ claim the Kosovo Police.
They note that a significant number of people had gathered in front of the municipal buildings in Leposavic, Zvecan and Zubin Potok with the aim of „obstructing and not allowing officials to enter the buildings.“
„The Kosovo police, recognizing the right of citizens to protest and express their grievances in a fair, peaceful and legal way, communicated with them several times and asked for access to the facilities, namely, to allow the mayors to enter their workplaces, and not to violate their legitimate rights,“ the police say, adding that the „authorized demands“ of the police officers were ignored.
„Some people in Zvecan were violent, throwing various heavy weapons and stun grenades at the police and official vehicles,“ they stated.
Furthermore, the KP emphasized that the officers then „acted in self-defense.“
„In order to prevent an immediate danger to the lives of the police officers, the competent police units were forced to react in self-defense with their legal means, including tear gas, in order to disperse the crowd and allow the mayors to enter the premises of the municipality,“ they stated.
According to the police, a total of five police officers sustained minor injuries yesterday, four official vehicles were damaged, one of which was set on fire, and several civilian vehicles were damaged as well, including journalists’ vehicles, as well as three EULEX mission vehicles.
They claimed that shots were fired at different locations yesterday, and that investigations are being carried out in cooperation with the judicial authorities.
The Kosovo Police claim that, in addition to attacking officials and vehicles, „criminal groups“ also tried to block roads with gravel and trucks yesterday.
A road block was installed in Leposavic, near the municipal building.
„In order to ensure the free movement of people and goods, the Kosovo Police took measures to remove them and clean the roads in cooperation and coordination with the competent authorities. The vehicles are no longer there, the roads are free for traffic,“ they said.
They specify that the KP has engaged its units to investigate and carry out additional police actions.
What does footage of the incident show?
Local residents who had gathered in front of the municipal buildings made claims that significantly differ from those made by the police.
A video shot in Zvecan shows a group of citizens peacefully protesting, some of whom are seen talking to the police, including Arsenijevic, who reminded the police of their promise that they would not use force.
At the same time, one citizen addressed the police in Albanian and reminded them of the 1990s when the Albanians were in a different position, underscoring that force does not achieve anything.
However, then the leader of the special units approached the citizens and began to disperse the crowd. At that moment, tear gas was deployed.
Similar testimonies came from Zubin Potok.
Incidents broke out in three municipalities in the north of Kosovo on Friday when the new Albanian mayors, with the help of the police, tried to enter buildings used by Serbian municipal structures.
Residents in the north showed resistance and gathered in front of the municipal buildings in Zvecan, Leposavic and Zubin Potok.
Since the mayors could not enter with the help of regular police forces, heavily armed special forces units of the Kosovo Police entered all three municipalities by force and allowed access to the mayors.
They took down Serbian flags and replaced them with Kosovo ones. Several civilian armored vehicles of the Kosovo authorities were also present at the scene.
Tear gas and stun grenades were used, several police cars were demolished and one of them was even set on fire in Zvecan. On the other hand, dozens of citizens sustained minor injuries due to the use of tear gas.1
One of them is the leader of GI Srpski Opstanak, Aleksandar Arsenijevic, who also claims that he was beat up by the present police officers.
On the other hand, the Kosovo interior minister praised the police officers for their „professional conduct and fight against organized crime“.
The Kosovo Police action also hailed by the President of Kosovo, Vjosa Osmani.
„The actions of the Kosovo police towards Vucic’s illegal structures and criminal groups are legitimate, in fulfilling their constitutional duties and in the defense of all citizens, without distinction,“ she said.
The Prime Minister of Kosovo, who met with the KFOR commander last night, told him that the mayors must perform their duties, but also that the municipal buildings are owned by the „Republic“.
The US reacted harshly through several representatives – American ambassadors and embassies in Pristina and Belgrade, Senator Chris Murphy, who recently paid a visit to the region, State Department Special Counselor Derek Chollet, and finally Secretary of State Anthony Blinken.
Warning of escalating tensions and increasing instability, the US Secretary of State, in a separate statement and via Twitter and his spokesman, called on Kurti to immediately halt the violent measures and refocus on dialogue under the auspices of the EU.
KFOR reacted in a similar manner, describing the entry of new mayors into municipal buildings as „violent“ and „extremely dangerous“ for the normalization process. Quint, EU, UNMIK, OSCE also criticized the action.
The second time Svecla reacted, it was to express his displeasure over the fact that the action of the Kosovo police was being described as „violent“, claiming that, in this way, the „“hugs“ of Srpska Lista Vice-President, Milan Radoicic, are being invited to attack police officers.
On the other hand, the President of Serbia announced a meeting of the Security Council in connection with the situation in Kosovo from a rally in Belgrade, stating that Pristina was waiting for „all the males from Kosovo to come to Belgrade to enter the municipalities“. He also said that „Serbia won’t sit idly by“ in case of an attack on Serbs in the north.
Read more:
Arsenijević: Kosovo Police beat me, harassed me and insulted me with ethnic slurs
Violence Ensues As Special Police Forcibly Enter Municipal Buildings
Quint countries condemn Kosovo’s decision, concerned by Serbia’s decision
Blinken: Kurti to immediately halt violent measures and focus on dialogue
Bisevac: SL leadership went to Belgrade, the mayor and the police wanted to enter…
Chris Murphy spoke to Chollet: Provocation by Pristina, Kurti to end it immediately
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