Residents of Leposavic gathered this morning in front of the town’s sports hall to protest its recent takeover by Kosovo municipal authorities. The move, which included the replacement of locks and a shift in operational control, has sparked outrage among local sports clubs and citizens, who say the action deprives children of their right to engage in sports activities.
Around 10 a.m., coaches, athletes, and supporters from various sports clubs that had previously trained in the facility assembled outside the hall. They were soon joined by other residents, parents, and children, ranging from small children to teenage athletes.
Protesters blew whistles, shouted slogans, and booed in a show of defiance, while Kosovo police maintained a visible presence nearby.
Although the protest concluded peacefully, hall employees remained stationed outside the building.
Authorities Replace Locks, Raise Kosovo Flag
The protest comes a day after the municipality of Leposavic, with the support of the Kosovo Police, took over management of the sports hall. Until then, the facility had been operated by the Leposavic Sports-Tourism Organization, which functions within Serbia’s institutional framework.
In a statement to KoSSev, Deputy Mayor Marina Bogojević insisted the move was purely administrative, stating, “Nothing is changing—employees can keep their jobs, and school and training schedules will remain as they were.” However, this claim was contradicted by the former director of the facility, Marko Radosavljević.
“Even though they said we could come to work, they’re changing the locks and bringing in their own security guards,” Radosavljević told KoSSev.
He added that Serbian flags had been removed and replaced with Kosovo symbols, including a new plaque reading “Republic of Kosovo.”
Radosavljević also said municipal officials told them they could only remain employed if they integrated into Kosovo’s institutional system.
A Pattern of Takeovers
This takeover is the latest in a series of moves by Kosovo authorities to assert control over facilities previously managed by Serbian institutions in the Serb-majority north. In just under two weeks, nine such buildings housing at least 12 Serbian-administered services have been taken over.
Since 2012, at least 74 Serbian-run institutions in Kosovo have reportedly been shut down or repurposed.
A similar situation occurred in North Mitrovica less than two weeks ago when the local sports hall was taken over in the presence of police. On that occasion, coaches, children, and staff were ordered to leave mid-session. Serbian athlete portraits were removed from the walls, the locks were changed, and the building was sealed.
Following that incident, North Mitrovica’s municipal administration instructed sports clubs to coordinate future activities through the Department for Culture, Youth, and Sport.
Political and International Response
The takeover has drawn criticism from Serbian political figures, including the Serb List, Head of the Kosovo Office Petar Petković, and the Serbian Democratic Party. The Serbian Sports Association has also condemned the move.
On the international front, the first official response came last night from UNMIK head Caroline Ziadeh.
Preuzimanje i objavljivanje tekstova sa portala KoSSev nije dozvoljeno bez navođenja izvora. Hvala na poštovanju etike novinarske profesije.
