Kosovo: Opposition to protest, police fear unrest

Kosovo: Opposition to protest, police fear unrest

Tensions in the southern Serbian province have been rising over the past days, as the police detained several Self-Determination officials, with the radical movement saying afterwards the security forces were behaving in a fascist manner.

The party's leader Visar Imeri said that "the media wing of the Kosovo police has launched fascist threats and arrests."

"Two days before the biggest protest in our history, Self-Determination spokesman is arrested as he is leaving a TV program, with no explanation," said Imeri, adding that "this government of policemen and the police of the government want silence, while they at the same time threaten and arrest to intimidate."

"We are being slandered because they don't want the truth about them to be discovered. They are scared, criminals. They will not stop us, because we are with justice," said Imeri.

The police previously warned that the Feb. 17 protest could turn violent, and urged participants to refrain from rioting.