For "Vreme" from Gazimestan
Workers of the Department of Public Services placed new flags of the Republic of Serbia on the poles in Cara Lazara Street in Gračanica. The municipality of Gračanica indicated that this was done in honor of the Vidovdan holiday. This is news from a year ago. Then, at the Vidovdan celebration, the Kosovo police took one person in for an interview.
Today, a different play was on the repertoire. Serbian flags were banned, strict "security" measures were applied during the celebration, and there were 17 arrests.
Last year, Self-Determination led by Aljbin Kurti was in power. This year, during the celebration, their mandate is technical. And, in general, during the duration of the technical mandate, various repressive measures were implemented against the Serbian community in Kosovo: police officers who work in the MUP of Serbia and live in Kosovo were deported; there were more cases of sexual harassment of women in the North without an adequate reaction to the reports; a Kosovo policeman grabbed a high school graduate by the neck while not sanctioning provocations from the Albanian side; almost all Serbian institutions were closed, which is why the European Union introduced punitive measures to Kosovo in 2023... One could list many more.
IN THE SYMBOL OF THE KOSOVO POLICE
A little more than fifteen days before the celebration of Vidovdan in Gazimestan, the Basic Court in Pristina issued a verdict annulling the decision of the Municipality of Gračanica to allow the display of the Serbian flag on the occasion of Vidovdan.
"This is particularly significant in the context of ethnic and political sensitivities in Kosovo. Any such permission without a legal basis can create a dangerous precedent for undermining the legal order and national unity", stated the Court and assessed that the decision of the Municipality of Gračanica seriously threatens public order and inter-ethnic coexistence.
On the same day, a car with an Albanian flag passed through the municipality of Gracanica. The Kosovo police did not sanction it. It's almost like they're at work, again.
The column of vehicles near Gazimestan was several kilometers long. The cars have license plates from Serbia and Kosovo, and the police direct them to the parking lot. Several groups arrived by bus. Among others, there were the president of the New DSS Miloš Jovanović, Nemanja Šarović, students from Kosovska Mitrovica who have been organizing 16 minutes of silence in the northern part of that city for months... As for journalists, it seems that there were as many of us as the police. Both Albanian and Serbian.
The Police Inspectorate of Kosovo and special units lined up along the path leading to the gate were present. They stood still with bulletproof vests and pistols on their belts. The drone flew over the monument and a not so large crowd of people all the time. There seem to be a few hundred of them.
Citizens were thoroughly searched by the police at the entrance. They lifted their shirts, looked in their pockets and bags so that nothing would appear that would "cause tension". However, a student approached me from the crowd, pulled up the sleeve of his shirt and boasted: "They didn't notice that I drew a flag on my shoulder." The others carried candles in their hands and a red peony on their T-shirts.
There were almost no Serbian flags. A small national flag fluttered in front of the monument. The second, larger flag was spread by members of the Serbian Democracy. It was a national flag without a coat of arms. Members of the Serbian Democracy wore T-shirts emblazoned with Article 59 of the Constitution of Kosovo, an article that guarantees that communities and their members can "use and emphasize community symbols, in accordance with the law and international standards." The policemen "didn't know where to go", and they passed by unhindered.
And when you get to the gate - the policemen again. They shared the usual rules of conduct. In that rulebook, on A4 paper, it says, among other things: "Please pay attention to what is written on this notice" or "The police hope that the events of 'VIDOVDAN' that will take place today will be peaceful."
If it seems to you that something is wrong with these sentences, it is a bad translation. This was pointed out by Serbian non-governmental organizations from the north of Kosovo months ago. And the Law on the Use of Languages already in its first article guarantees "the equal status of the Albanian and Serbian languages as the official languages of Kosovo, equal rights for their use in all institutions of Kosovo."
However, the practice is different, and sometimes there is even no translation.
WHAT DOES ALL OF THIS TELL US?
"I look at this holiday as a religious one, but also as a part of the cultural heritage that is in some way endangered and that must be protected. That's why I want to contribute to that by coming here," political scientist Ognjen Gogić told "Vreme" in Gazimestan.
He added that the celebration of Vidovdan is particularly important this year because it seems that there is a lot of pressure on the Serbian community from Pristina, and that many things are bothering them.
However, he explains that the news about the flag being banned was taken a bit out of context. "The court prohibited the Municipality of Gračanica from officially using the flag of Serbia, but citizens were not prohibited from displaying the flag. During the search, some flags were released, i.e. flags without a coat of arms. They differentiate between the national flag and the national flag."
However, Gogić warns that the Pristina authorities have been using the concept of inciting national hatred quite arbitrarily lately. "They interpret everything and put it under that, then you're just in fear. Here, for example, when I was coming here, I looked at what I was wearing, checked what I had in my bag, so that I wouldn't inadvertently bring something that they would say that I was causing intolerance."
He goes on to say that the atmosphere is such that they can interpret anything they don't like as inciting national hatred.
"It's a really big pressure and I personally feel it. The question arises as to who you are endangering with it. What if someone brought in a flag with a coat of arms? How would that endanger any Albanian, for example? It is not at all clear why there is such a need to control people's behavior in that way," emphasizes Gogić.
To the statement that they are in front of various Kosovo institutions in addition to the Kosovo flag and the Albanian flag, Gogić replies: "They do not differentiate between the national and national flags here either. Even official institutions use the flag of Albania as the national flag and so far no one has sanctioned this in Kosovo nor will they."
“KURTILEND”
The songs from the speakers in front of the monument were not heard. They were silenced. At one point, a group of people in front of the monument sang thirty patriotic songs: "Oj junastva svijetla zoro", "Veseli se srpski rode" and others. The crowd shouted: "Kosovo is the heart of Serbia."
After that, the meeting ended. Those gathered went home, and the arrests began. The Kosovo police later announced that 17 people were taken to the police station for questioning for "provoking the crowd", "inciting hatred" and "wearing provocative and inciting clothing".
One of the detained citizens was wearing a Montenegrin national costume. And Montenegro recognized Kosovo's independence back in 2008.
Stefan Veljković from Serbian Democracy was the first to be arrested that morning. After he was released, he claimed that the police refused to write the sentence in Serbian, so he demonstratively tore up the sentence in Gazimestan. He says he assumes it was written because of a violation of public order and peace.
"Since they wrote me a fine for disturbing public order and peace, but only in Albanian, they refused to write it in Serbian, I refused to sign it, and now I want to show what I think about their rule of law, in which the rights of Serbs are systematically threatened," said Veljković and then tore up the fine.
"This is not the Kosovo state, this is Kurtiland," he added.
Several members of the Serbian Democracy, including Veljković, were detained in Vučitrna after leaving Gazimestan for Mitrovica. According to their claims, the families did not know where they were for several hours. Later they were released.
The highlight of the arrogance of the Kosovo police at this event was the apprehension, that is, the seizing of a minor girl from the side. However, she was soon released and returned to her family. Her parents then claimed that they took her into custody because she said: "Kosovo is Serbia". The media reports that the child is 12 years old.
Journalists who tried to record the arrests were constantly obstructed. There was a "red line" to which we were constantly brought back and warned not to cross. Although the journalists were warned by the police to stay away, everything was recorded.
Because, as it was written on the instructions: "The police will also protect you if necessary as a participant in this event."
Ognjen Gogić concludes that the Serbian community in Kosovo is under a lot of pressure: "There have always been problems, but in the last year or two, you can really feel the increased control, that certain grip is stronger than it was before. Now some harmless things, such as the flag, are becoming problematic. The pressure has increased to the point that you have to be very careful."
The commemoration of Vidovdan is just another day in Kosovo, but also a picture and occasion of the relationship of the Kosovo authorities towards the Serbian community. Despite everything, she perseveres. Neither Belgrade nor Pristina care about it, and the international community usually remains silent on their problems.
