Raška, Kosovo, October 14, 2021
The Serbian Orthodox is calling on Kosovo police and international forces “to urgently establish peace and order and protect citizens from violent behavior of the police,” following a clash between the Albanian Kosovo police and ethnic Serbs yesterday.
The incident took place in the divided northern town of Mitrovica when police conducted an anti-goods smuggling operation in the town. Video footage shows police firing tear gas at Serb protestors, while the Serbs hurled stones and other objects at the officers, reports euronews.
The statement from the Diocese of Raška and Prizren reads:
On the occasion of Kosovo Police action in the north of Kosovo and Metohija this morning, during which violence was used against Serbian citizens, the Diocese of Raška and Prizren expresses the greatest concern and calls for calming down the situation. According to the information from the hospital from North Mitrovica, at least one person of Serbian nationality was wounded by a firearm by the police, while the media report that the number of injured is higher.
The use of force by the Albanian Kosovo Police, especially firearms, represents an open act of aggression against citizens on ethnic grounds and threatens to cause enormous security instability. The Diocese of Raška and Prizren strongly appeals to the police to withdraw immediately because the situation may further escalate. Also, the Diocese appeals to the international forces of KFOR and EULEX to urgently establish peace and order and protect citizens from violent behavior of the police. We call on all citizens to show maximum restraint.
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