Serbs in north organize "rehearsal" protest

Serb gathered this morning near the main barricade in the northern Kosovo village of Zupce to protest against the announced removal of the road blocks. NATO troops in the province, KFOR, said they would remove the barricades on Tuesday. Serbs in north organize "rehearsal" protest Local Serbs blocked roads after Kosovo Albanian authorities moved to install their customs and police on the administrative line between central Serbia and Kosovo. Serbs, who form a majority in northern Kosovo, reject both the authority of the Kosovo Albanian government in Pristina, and the ethnic Albanian unilateral declaration of independence made in early 2008. Zubin Potok Mayor Slavisa Ristic addressed several thousand people gathered today to say that they were not there protecting "beeches and tree trunks", but rather their country, homes, and the future of their children. Ristic pleaded with the citizens to remain "calm and wise", and called on them to gather again on Tuesday morning at Zupce. "If members of KFOR try to break through the barricades tomorrow, we will stand calmly, we'll take our chairs too, and sit down. If that's what their justice and freedom is about - then we don't need it," the mayor told the crowd. "We ask nothing from them, except to be left alone, to stay and live in the state of Serbia. If there is no Serbia here, there will be none in Belgrade either," warned Ristic, and added that the people defending their homes recognize and appreciate the help they are receiving from friends at this difficult time. Previously, the residents of the Ibarski Kolasin region say that they will spend Monday at the barricades, and that the protest will be peaceful. Reports said there were women and children at the barricades, while schools are today closed in the area. The locals said today's events were a "rehearsal" for what Serbs intend to do if KFOR starts removing their barricades. Farther up north, in Leposavic, Serbs were also ready to peacefully resist Pristina's attempts to install its institutions here. The citizens are saying that if there is no solution that will be acceptable to them, and if KFOR dismantles their road blocks, they will react by putting up new barricades. Last night, the residents of the towns of Kosovska Mitrovica and Zvecan manned the barricades. According to a Beta news agency report, they believe that a joint session of councilors of the four Serbs municipalities in northern Kosovo, scheduled for Wednesday, will come up with solutions acceptable to all sides. Meanwhile in Belgrade, the Liberal-Democratic Party (LDP) issued a statements requesting "a check of information that schoolchildren will be taken to the barricades in northern Kosovo without the knowledge of their parents", adding that they learned this "from terrified parents", who chose to contact them. (file)

Serbs in north organize "rehearsal" protest

Local Serbs blocked roads after Kosovo Albanian authorities moved to install their customs and police on the administrative line between central Serbia and Kosovo.

Serbs, who form a majority in northern Kosovo, reject both the authority of the Kosovo Albanian government in Priština, and the ethnic Albanian unilateral declaration of independence made in early 2008.

Zubin Potok Mayor Slaviša Ristić addressed several thousand people gathered today to say that they were not there protecting "beeches and tree trunks", but rather their country, homes, and the future of their children.

Ristić pleaded with the citizens to remain "calm and wise", and called on them to gather again on Tuesday morning at Zupče.

"If members of KFOR try to break through the barricades tomorrow, we will stand calmly, we'll take our chairs too, and sit down. If that's what their justice and freedom is about - then we don't need it," the mayor told the crowd.

"We ask nothing from them, except to be left alone, to stay and live in the state of Serbia. If there is no Serbia here, there will be none in Belgrade either," warned Ristić, and added that the people defending their homes recognize and appreciate the help they are receiving from friends at this difficult time.

Previously, the residents of the Ibarski Kolašin region say that they will spend Monday at the barricades, and that the protest will be peaceful.

Reports said there were women and children at the barricades, while schools are today closed in the area.

The locals said today's events were a "rehearsal" for what Serbs intend to do if KFOR starts removing their barricades.

Farther up north, in Leposavić, Serbs were also ready to peacefully resist Priština's attempts to install its institutions here.

The citizens are saying that if there is no solution that will be acceptable to them, and if KFOR dismantles their road blocks, they will react by putting up new barricades.

Last night, the residents of the towns of Kosovska Mitrovica and Zvečan manned the barricades.

According to a Beta news agency report, they believe that a joint session of councilors of the four Serbs municipalities in northern Kosovo, scheduled for Wednesday, will come up with solutions acceptable to all sides.

Meanwhile in Belgrade, the Liberal-Democratic Party (LDP) issued a statements requesting "a check of information that schoolchildren will be taken to the barricades in northern Kosovo without the knowledge of their parents", adding that they learned this "from terrified parents", who chose to contact them.