A protest took place today in front of the police station in Zubin Potok, where hundreds of local Serbs gathered to voice their concerns over the desecration of a church site in the hamlet of Češanoviće and the threat to other Orthodox religious landmarks in the Ibar Kolašin region, according to local media reports.
Kim Radio reported that the protest in Zubin Potok drew a significant crowd, which marched from the police station to the Church of the Holy Trinity. Participants sang religious hymns and prayed as they processed, with some holding religious icons. The protest was peaceful, though a group of police officers was stationed outside the police building, as reported by Zubin Potok Info.
The protest was organized in response to a series of incidents involving local Orthodox churches. It was first announced through a local Instagram page by an anonymous group of citizens.
In a statement shared by Zubin Potok Info, the group expressed their frustration: „The people’s anger has only grown due to the attempts to usurp and claim two churches in our municipality. Specifically, the Church of St. Anne in Perkovac and the church in the village of Vinarce.“
Local Leader Speaks Out
Among the attendees was Milija Biševac, a representative of the Serbian National Movement. Speaking to Kim Radio, Biševac emphasized that the protest had no political motivations but was solely about citizens’ dissatisfaction with recent events. He referred to a recent incident on Mount Rogozna, where Orthodox icons were vandalized under suspicious circumstances.
„Today’s gathering has no political connotations. You could see a large number of people who came to express their dissatisfaction over the recent events near us, on Mount Rogozna, where Orthodox icons were broken and scattered under suspicious circumstances,“ Biševac stated.
Biševac further pointed out that locals frequently report seeing special units of the Kosovo police in the area, although no direct blame has been placed on the police.
„We are not accusing the police, but they are responsible for failing to conduct an investigation, and we still have no arrests. There is reasonable suspicion because special units are the only ones moving through that border area, where no locals live. The locals only visit for certain religious rites,“ he explained.
Biševac also mentioned that this was not an isolated incident.
„There have been numerous reports of the desecration of our sacred sites, but no official response or action has been taken. We also know that two churches, in Vinarce and Donji Strmac, have been annexed, as they say, to the Catholic Church, which is completely unrealistic. This is another attack on Serbian holy sites and, above all, on the Serbian people living here. Through this protest, we have expressed our dissatisfaction and made it clear that this needs to stop. This kind of governance and police oppression is leading us nowhere,“ Biševac concluded.
Citizens Demand Police Action
During the protest, Zubin Potok resident Aleksandar Perović issued a public call for the police to prioritize protecting religious sites over patrolling gas stations. He expressed the broader community’s distrust of the Kosovo police.
„The gathered citizens do not trust the Kosovo police. That’s why today’s dissatisfaction was expressed in front of the police station. We have reported incidents to the police countless times, but we have no trust in them. That’s why we chose to express our dissatisfaction in front of their station. The Kosovo police should finally take part in protecting these sacred sites, not just gas stations and other insignificant locations,“ Perović told Kim Radio.
Desecration of Holy Sites
The protest was sparked by the desecration of a historic church site known as Međugore, located in a remote area of the Ibar Kolašin region. This site, where an annual religious celebration is held, was found vandalized last weekend by locals. Icons were scattered, and the church roof was discovered to have bullet holes.
Although the perpetrators remain unknown, local residents reported hearing three gunshots on August 25, which they believe came from the direction of Međugore. Special units of the Kosovo police are frequently seen in the area, further raising suspicion among the locals.
The Kosovo police launched an investigation only after media reports surfaced last weekend. They have since questioned local residents as witnesses and forwarded their findings to the Kosovo Police Inspectorate, given the suspicions raised about police involvement.
The Diocese of Raška and Prizren expressed deep concern over the incident, urging the international community to help identify those responsible and prevent future attacks.
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