A protest took place this morning in front of the Sports Hall in North Mitrovica, which was shut down and taken under the jurisdiction of Kosovo’s municipal authorities yesterday.
At around 9 a.m., members of local sports clubs, who had been regularly conducting children’s training sessions at the facility until its closure, gathered outside the hall. Despite the cold and rainy weather, children—ranging from the youngest athletes to teenage sports enthusiasts—along with their parents and coaches, joined the demonstration.
Whistles were blown, and chants of protest could be heard echoing through the damp air.
Young athletes voiced their frustration, emphasizing that their presence at the protest was solely a demand for their right to practice sports—a right that has now been stripped away.
Opposite the protesters stood police officers, positioned at the entrance of the hall, with a patrol car blocking the access path leading up to the building.
Representatives of the Serbian List political party were also present. Among them was Igor Simić, who appeared with his child, while Ivan Zaporožac stood amidst the crowd. An estimated one hundred people participated in the demonstration.
The protest comes three months after the North Mitrovica Municipal Assembly passed a regulation on the use of sports facilities. Yesterday, municipal inspectors entered the Sports Hall, located near the former military repair facility—the only sports and recreational building in this part of the city.
Workers, coaches, and children who were preparing for training were forced out of the facility. Photos of Serbian athletes were removed from the walls, the locks were changed, and the doors were sealed.
The facility’s manager was reportedly summoned to the municipal office today, along with a list of scheduled training sessions, with officials assuring him that everything would „remain as before.“
Preuzimanje i objavljivanje tekstova sa portala KoSSev nije dozvoljeno bez navođenja izvora. Hvala na poštovanju etike novinarske profesije.
