By Linda Karadaku for Southeast European Times in Pristina -- 14/01/12
Albanian supporters of the Vetevendosje (Self-Determination) Movement board buses in Tirana on Saturday (January 14th). They travelled to Kosovo's border with Serbia to help block the flow of Serb goods into Kosovo. [Reuters]
Police were using pepper spray, water cannons and tear gas Saturday (January 14th) against demonstrators marching to protest at two border crossings with Serbia, in Merdar/Merdare and Dheu i Bardhe/ Bela Zemlja. The main opposition movement "Vetevendosje" (Self-determination) organised the demonstration, saying the government has failed to implement parliament's decision to impose for full political, economic and trade reciprocity with Serbia.
The movement said some protestors threw rocks in the Podujevo area, near Merdar/Merdare. A Kosovo TV report quoted a police spokesperson as saying 14 protesters were arrested and eight police officials were injured. Vetevendosje leader Albin Kurti was among those injured, and was given medical treatment before returning to the protest, the movement said.
Vetevendosje accuses Prime Minister Hashim Thaci's government of implementing agreements "that undo the Republic [of Kosovo] and force Kosovo to kneel before Serbia." Protecting domestic production is at stake, says Vetevendosje.
Neither of the crossings is in the Serb-majority northern part of the country, which has been volatile since mid-summer.
Earlier Saturday, as he first headed towards the Merdar/Merdare crossing, Kurti told reporters that the heavy police turnout would not change his plans, while reiterating that the protest is designed to hinder the flow of Serbian goods into Kosovo, not the freedom of movement of people.
He was stopped by a police cordon about 400m from the crossing, and accused police of blocking the movement of people.
The interior ministry had said in a news release that it would exercise its duty in accordance with its mandate to prevent any blockade.
"The right of some citizens to protest and express their discontent will not be allowed to be abused at the expense of the free movement of the other citizens and goods in the territory of the Republic of Kosovo," the ministry said. It asked the public not to support illegal forms of dissent, underlining that Kosovo Police will show "zero tolerance towards the illegal blockade of roads".
Thaci, for his part, has little patience with Vetevendosje or its protest, telling his cabinet Wednesday that patriotism nowadays should be defined as full respect for Kosovo's Constitution and its laws. "The perspective of the state of Kosovo is in integration and not in the barricade."
Kosovo President Atifete Jahjaga had chided Vetevendosje as well, saying in effect that organising a street protest does not signal the "exhaustion of possibilities of action within the institutions of the country. As in any other case, I express my firm stance as president ... against actions that hinder the free movement of people and goods."
The embassies of France, Germany, Italy, the UK and the US urged Vetevendosje to refrain from any violence or provocation of Kosovo Police personnel.
"Such actions will not only be illegal, but would also raise political tensions in Kosovo and negatively impact Kosovo's image abroad," they said in a statement. Adding that they are confident that Kosovo Police -- supported by EULEX and KFOR -- "will show restraint and professionalism in dealing with any provocations" the diplomats stressed that "ultimately, Vetevendosje will be responsible for the consequences of its planned actions."
EU Special Representative in Kosovo Fernando Gentilini warned that any action that aims to raise barriers instead of lowering them risks undermining progress achieved so far. "I encourage everybody to refrain from actions that aim at hindering any of these freedoms, since such moves would only represent a setback in the European agenda," he said in a statement.
Kurti sought support in neighbouring Albania, but the foreign ministry responded with a statement saying it condemns the extremist calls of "some Albanians in Kosovo and Albania" to block the border crossings with Serbia. Nonetheless, a busload of Albanians was stopped by police Saturday at the Morine border with Kosovo.
Other political parties in Kosovo do not support the planned blockade, but various NGOs, businesses and syndicates are divided over it.
Kosovo political analyst Belul Beqaj, a university professor, tells SETimes the blockade of the border crossings "can be seen as an unreasonable act, but [Vetevendosje's] commitment to realise ... their political aims, despite the consequences, cannot be denied".
Source: SETimes.com
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