At today’s protest in Braća Milić Square in North Mitrovica, announced by Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić from Belgrade yesterday, participants voted by acclamation against reopening the main Ibar Bridge to traffic.
The protest was organized by Nikola Kabašić, the former President of the Basic Court in Mitrovica. His 20-minute speech was well-received by the attendees of the rally.
From now on, citizens will use acclamation at the same location whenever they disagree with decisions made by what Kabašić termed the „usurpers of the municipality,“ referring to the current composition of the Northern Mitrovica Municipality, when those decisions are not in the interest of the majority population.
Citizens of Northern Mitrovica will have another opportunity to express their views tomorrow at 11 a.m., when a public discussion on multilateral cooperation will be held at the municipal office. The discussion will focus on community safety and cooperation between institutions and civil society.
The Kosovo government is closely monitoring the event. Minister for Local Government Elbert Krasniqi and Jeta Tela, head of Kosovo’s Ministry of Internal Affairs, are expected to attend the meeting. Prime Minister Albin Kurti has urged citizens to participate in the discussion and to „learn about the benefits of reopening the bridge.“
Regarding the protest, what Kosovo Police did not clarify yesterday, Kabašić confirmed today: he and a group of lawyers organized the rally. He also mentioned that they have been discussing joint actions with all political representatives of Serbs in the North for the past month concerning the current crisis affecting Serbs in the area.
“I believe this is the beginning of a dialogue. We need to wake up; I have spoken with the leadership. We need to renew dialogue among us Serbs. We need to first talk within our own community and then with our neighbors. Street by street. We need to restore contacts and unify our efforts,” he said.
Listing various political parties, Kabašić also introduced a new one that had not been officially mentioned before: the „League of the North,“ led by Marko Jakšić and Ivan Miletić.
Representatives from three currently confirmed Serbian political parties in the North—Srpska Lista, Serbian Democracy, and the Party of Kosovo Serbs—were present at the rally, along with representatives from institutions. Milija Biševac from the Serbian National Movement was notably separate from them.
Both Kabašić and other speakers emphasized the dire situation of the Serbian population in Kosovo, pointing fingers at Kosovo’s Prime Minister and government, particularly the Minister of Internal Affairs, as allegedly responsible for the discrimination and marginalization of Serbs.
However, Kabašić also had a message for Serbian authorities: to continue providing assistance but to ensure it is fairer and more evenly distributed so that every Serbian citizen in Kosovo and within the Serbian system in Serbia has the right to “employment, credit, and housing.”
Other speakers included Rada Komazec, Director of Jedinstvo weekly; Ivan Milojević, Director of the Serbian Post in Kosovo and former Minister in the Kosovo government; Duška Vlahović, Vice President of the Pensioners’ Association in Mitrovica; and a university representative.
The protest was delayed due to organizers’ attempts to gather participants in the square itself. Several hundred protesters mostly arrived in an organized manner, previously gathering in smaller groups along the promenade. Despite several calls, before the rally began with the anthem, they remained on the edges of the square.
A significant presence of Kosovo police and security forces, primarily in plain clothes, monitored the event, which attracted considerable media attention and a drone filming from above.
Immediately after the protest, for the second consecutive day, Kosovo’s Minister of Internal Affairs, Xhelal Sveçla, arrived at the same location, a figure who, along with Kurti, was heavily criticized at the rally.
Shortly after the rally, Sveçla visited a nearby café, „C’est la vie,“ formerly Dolcevita, which has been purchased by an Albanian and has become a popular hangout for Self-Determination (Vetëvendosje) officials. He was accompanied by Minister Elbert Krasniqi.
For the past two days, Sveçla has been touring the main bridge and stopping for drinks at the newly opened café.
In Northern Mitrovica, the recent push by the Kosovo government to reopen the main bridge over the Ibar River has sparked significant tension and controversy. The bridge, a symbol of deep-seated ethnic divisions, has been closed for 25 years, and its reopening is now a focal point in Kosovo’s fraught political landscape.
These efforts and activities come amidst ongoing resistance from the Quint countries (United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Italy), the European Union, and KFOR, who are advocating for a resolution through the Brussels dialogue rather than unilateral actions.
Read more:
Tensions Rise as Kosovo Pushes to Reopen Ibar Bridge Amid Political Dispute
Kabašić Slams Kosovo Authorities and Demands Fair Treatment for Serbs in Kosovo
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