Kosovo Opposition Calls New Protest After Clashes

Albin Kurti, the head of Vetevendosje, said on Thursday that opposition demonstrators would return to the streets of Pristina and again march to the government building –the scene of mass unrest two days ago.

A hundred and seventy people were injured, mostly police officers, and 120 protesters were arrested amid six hours of violent clashes on Tuesday which saw demonstrators throwing stones and Molotov cocktails at riot police, who fired rounds of tear gas and used water cannon in an attempt to quell the unrest.

The protesters were calling for the resignation of Communities and Returns Minister Aleksandar Jablanovic, who caused anger earlier this month when he called Albanians who blockaded Serb pilgrims visiting a church in the town of Gjakova/Djakovica at Orthodox Christmas “savages”.

They were also demanding that the huge Trepca mine complex, the subject of dispute between Pristina and Belgrade, be taken under Kosovo state control.

Kurti said that the next protest, on February 3, would make the same demands.

“Our demands are the same. The aim of this peaceful protest is the same,” he told a press conference on Thursday.

Tuesday’s clashes followed previous unrest on the streets of the capital on Saturday.

Government and opposition have blamed each other for the clashes. Kosovo’s Prime Minister Isa Mustafa and his deputy, Hashim Thaci, alleged that the opposition parties who organised the protest were trying to seize power.

But the Vetevendosje, which called the rally alongside other opposition parties, insisted that the protest was peaceful until police intervened and caused the violence.

Meanwhile the Basic Court in Pristina on Thursday began to hear cases against some of those arrested during the protest.

More than 100 people are expected to be tried, and regular hearings were postponed to make way for the cases.

An MP from Vetevendosje, Ilir Deda came to the court to support the families of the protesters. He accused the police of assaulting the people who were arrested.

“Violence against protesters happened in the police station and the violence was caused solely by the police,” Deda alleged.

BIRN