The Kosovo Police in North Mitrovica have denied today’s media reports regarding alleged protests and escalation during a high school graduation parade. In a statement issued to the public, the North Mitrovica Police Station labeled the claims of protest activity and unrest as false and unfounded.
„This was not a protest, nor was there any escalation,“ the police stated, emphasizing that the event in question was a traditional graduation parade of high school students from North Mitrovica, which had been formally registered in advance with the Kosovo Police.
Upon receiving notification of the event, the police say they facilitated a safe and uninterrupted procession for the participants, which they assert concluded peacefully and without any major incidents.
While some provocations were recorded during the celebration, the police said they responded promptly in order to prevent any potential disturbance of public order.
“The situation was quickly de-escalated, and the students continued their celebration without the need for further police intervention,” the statement added.
The Kosovo Police thanked citizens for their cooperation and urged the public to continue reporting any suspicious or potentially dangerous activities by calling 192, stressing the importance of joint efforts in maintaining a safe environment for all.
Incident During Graduation Parade in North Mitrovica Sparks Outcry
A graduation parade in North Mitrovica today ended in controversy after a physical altercation between Kosovo Police and a high school student was caught on camera and rapidly spread across social media.
The incident occurred during a traditional senior walk, where students paraded through the city with brass bands. At the lower part of the pedestrian zone, tensions rose when a guest at a café—allegedly of Albanian ethnicity—made a nationalist gesture by forming a double-headed eagle with his hands. Students responded by raising middle fingers, prompting police intervention.
Footage shows a young police officer grabbing one of the students by the neck, reportedly accusing him—in Albanian—of provoking the incident. The video sparked strong backlash from civil society groups, local Serb leaders, and Belgrade officials, all of whom accused Kosovo Police of using excessive force.
EULEX Head Giovanni Pietro Barbano also publicly condemned the police action. “I am deeply shocked and condemn the excessive use of force displayed by a Kosovo Police officer against a young boy in North Mitrovica,” he wrote on social media platform X, expressing his concerns to the police leadership and calling for accountability.
In contrast, Kosovo Police denied any wrongdoing, stating that their officers acted appropriately to prevent escalation. They claimed that students had provoked café patrons and were merely asked to stop.
Kosovo’s acting Minister of the Interior, Xhelal Sveçla, backed the police account, praising their professionalism. He accused the students of shouting nationalist slogans and displaying “chauvinist symbols” such as “Kosovo is the heart of Serbia,” and published a separate video of students waving Serbian flags and singing the folk song „Vidovdan.“ However, he did not release footage of the initial provocation involving the eagle gesture.
Meanwhile, Albanian-language media have placed blame on the Serb students, reporting that police were forced to intervene in response to alleged provocations. Gazeta 10 reported that “a group of young Serbs” had staged a protest in northern Kosovo and had “provoked others in various ways,” adding that police intervention had prevented a larger conflict between the youths of different ethnic backgrounds.
Later in the day, the outlet slightly revised the article on its website, replacing the word „protest“ with „parade.“
„Serbian Graduates Provoking in the North“, KosovaPress Agency reports.
„Serbian high school graduates from a school in North Mitrovica provoked by raising the three-finger salute. Veton Elshani from the Kosovo Police confirmed to KosovaPress that the police intervened to prevent a possible escalation. ‘There were provocations during the graduation celebration, and to prevent the situation from escalating, the police reacted,’ Elshani said. ‘The situation calmed down, and the graduates continued their celebration without the need for further intervention’, he added“, KosovaPress reported on the incident.
Read more:
Serb NGOs Condemn Police Conduct During Graduation Celebration
Why Did a Police Officer Grab a Graduate by the Neck in North Mitrovica?
Preuzimanje i objavljivanje tekstova sa portala KoSSev nije dozvoljeno bez navođenja izvora. Hvala na poštovanju etike novinarske profesije.
