School authorities in the North Kosovo have decided to suspend classes in all educational institutions due to the presence of special units of the Kosovo police that were seen in the immediate vicinity of schools. This is information that was sent to parents who received messages from teachers and instructors. However, we were unable to confirm the news with the school authorities.
One of the key questions that citizens of the four northern municipalities have been asking since Friday is the safety of their children and whether they should attend school on Monday, as well as what Serbia’s municipal workers should do after their workplaces were occupied by special forces of the Kosovo Police.
Local authorities have not yet publicly addressed the public with instructions and decisions, except for a call to Aleksandar Vučić to urgently suspend negotiations with Pristina.
However, under the pressure of parents and the public, school institutions, addressed parents today via teachers with the following message:
„Dear Parents,
In response to the numerous calls and messages from concerned parents, we held a meeting today with the head of the School Administration to address the situation. The concerns stem from the presence of police officers, equipped with long barreled weapons and full military gear, situated near schools and along routes that students take to reach school, as well as the appearance of transporters at school entrances.Considering this alarming situation, we have unanimously decided on the following measures:
In all schools across northern Kosovo and Metohija, due to the pervasive presence of heavily armed Kosovo police, the safety and uninterrupted conduct of our teaching activities are compromised. Therefore, with the safety and best interests of our students at heart, we have decided to suspend all teaching until such time as the reasons prompting this decision have been resolved, and the police have withdrawn from these areas.
Parents will be promptly notified by class mentors when it is safe for students to return to their classrooms.
We appreciate your understanding in these challenging times and are committed to the safety and well-being of all our students.”
We were unable to get confirmation and a statement from the headmaster, Ivan Zaporozac, a former councillor of the Kosovo municipality of North Mitrovica. He has not responded to our calls or questions for years.
It’s the third day since the violent entry of special units of the Kosovo police into municipal buildings in three northern municipalities. They escorted the newly elected Albanian mayors of Zvecan, Leposavic, and Zubin Potok into municipal buildings, a move opposed by local Serbs. The action in all three municipalities was accompanied by incidents with more than 10 Serbs and 5 police officers being lightly injured, and at least two demolished police vehicles. The actions were met with the general disapproval of the local community, despite opposite claims in Pristina.
The international community has reacted sharply, and among the first to do so was US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, in a separate statement. The German envoy for dialogue, Manuel Sarazzin, as well as European rapporteur for Kosovo, Viola Von Cramon, rushed to Kosovo on impromptu visits. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg called the two sides to dialogue, and for Pristina to avoid unilateral actions and urgently de-escalate the situation.
Kosovo security units, however, remained present in these buildings, having replaced flags, door locks, and surveillance cameras. Moreover, Kosovo authorities praised the action, hailing the routine arrival of mayors at their workplaces.
In front of the municipal buildings, different types of police vehicles on patrol ranging from armoured to civilian jeeps. Officers present range from police in regular uniforms, to special units with helmets, body armour, and other types of weaponry, both in blue and grey uniforms.
The European rapporteur was also on site today, touring Zvecan and Leposavic and described the scene as „scary“, especially after visiting the area in Zvecan, where two schools, a nursery, and a student dormitory are located near the locations where special units established their presence.
Read more:
Von Cramon assessed the scene in front of the Zvecan municipal building as scary
Stoltenberg: Pristina must de-escalate and not take unilateral, destabilizing steps
The police replaced the door and surveillance camera in Zvecan municipal building
Grenell to Kurti: You have ruined the strong US-Kosovo bond
KP’s POV: We asked them to let the mayors in, they attacked us, we acted in self-defense
Arsenijević: Kosovo Police beat me, harassed me and insulted me with ethnic slurs
Violence Ensues As Special Police Forcibly Enter Municipal Buildings
Quint countries condemn Kosovo’s decision, concerned by Serbia’s decision
Blinken: Kurti to immediately halt violent measures and focus on dialogue
Bisevac: SL leadership went to Belgrade, the mayor and the police wanted to enter…
Chris Murphy spoke to Chollet: Provocation by Pristina, Kurti to end it immediately
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