The Municipality of Gracanica has urgently appealed for intervention from international security forces, particularly KFOR, following a late-night incident in which individuals celebrating Albania’s Flag Day paraded through this Serb-majority town in vehicles adorned with Albanian and UÇK symbols, chanting various slogans.
On the eve of Albania’s Flag Day, celebrations unfolded across Kosovo with official programs in the northern region, Prekaze, and Pristina, where parades and motorcades marked the holiday.
In South Mitrovica, similar festivities included car processions and flag displays, with law enforcement reportedly monitoring activities in the northern part of the city to prevent potential provocations.
However, in Gracanica, a predominantly Serb town, the situation reportedly escalated when a convoy of cars, adorned with Albanian and UÇK (Kosovo Liberation Army) insignias, entered the streets late in the evening. According to local media and eyewitness accounts, the group honked horns, chanted slogans such as „Kosova, Kosova.“
According to unconfirmed information, they also allegedly attempted to remove the Serbian flag from the Miloš Obilić monument.
The parade, which practically disrupted road traffic, reportedly lasted approximately 15 minutes.
Official Responses
Mayor Ljiljana Šubarić condemned the event, calling it a „well-orchestrated and organized attempt to incite fear.“
She urged residents to remain calm to prevent further escalation.
„This serves no one,“ she stated outside the local police station, where several individuals involved in the incident were reportedly detained.
In a statement released this morning, the Gracanica Municipality echoed these sentiments, labeling the event as an „action designed to provoke violence and spread fear among the Serbian population.“
„The people of Gracanica are terrified. We demand protection,“ the statement read, expressing disappointment in the Kosovo Police’s inability to prevent such occurrences.
The municipality appealed to international organizations and forces, highlighting the growing insecurity for Serbian residents.
„This incident underscores the vulnerability of our people. Kosovo Police has once again demonstrated its incapacity to maintain peace on Gracanica’s streets,“ the statement continued.
„We call on KFOR to protect our families, especially our children, who have once again been subjected to fear and trauma.“
The municipality also calls on central institutions in Pristina to „put an end to inflammatory electoral rhetoric.“
Preuzimanje i objavljivanje tekstova sa portala KoSSev nije dozvoljeno bez navođenja izvora. Hvala na poštovanju etike novinarske profesije.
