Serbian Protests Against Ahtisaari’s Proposal
More than 40,000 Serbs gathered in front of the US Embassy in Belgrade to protest Ahtisaari's proposal. Association of Missing and Kidnapped family members were carrying the photographs of their loved ones who are missing in Kosovo province, and whose fate is still unknown.
Good Morning, Mr. Polt
On Tuesday, February 27, according to the police reports more than 40,000 Serbs gathered in front of the U.S. Embassy in Belgrade to voice their rejection of Ahtisaari’s proposal for the status of Serbian Kosovo-Metohija province.
The peaceful protests sending the message that southern Serbian province will remain an integral part of Serbia were organized by the Serbian National Council of Kosovo-Metohija and supported by the Serbian Radical Party, Democratic Party of Serbia and the Socialist Party.
Serbian National Council President Milan Ivanovic said that Ahtisaari’s proposal involves dismemberment and fragmentation of the Serbian state, that it is biased and leads to the independence of the Serbian Kosovo province, and is therefore entirely unacceptable. He explained the gathering is being organized in front of the U.S. Embassy because the United States was “the creator of the Ahtisaari plan” and there is “a need to stress that we reject the politics of legislative violence leading to the imposed dismemberment of our state, the politics that seeks to amputate a part of our country and we reject those who are standing behind such politics.”
Ivanovic emphasized that Serbs from Kosovo province fully support Serbian parliament’s recently adopted Resolution on Kosovo-Metohija province, as well as Serbia’s negotiating team and their platform for Vienna negotiations.
Serbian demonstrators carrying banners with Ahtisaari's image over Albanian flag.
“We want sovereign Serbia in its internationally recognized borders — no more and no less, while Albanian minority can be given essential autonomy within the Serbian state,” said the Council’s President.
The message of the Serbian Orthodox Church Patriarch, His Holiness Pavle was read at the gathering. Serbian Patriarch underlined that Kosovo-Metohija province is inseparable from Serbia and Serbian nation, saying that he believes this issue will be resolved legally and justly, through an agreement that will preserve the peace while keeping in mind the generations of people living in Kosovo province, who will remain there.
“The only way to fragment and dismember a democratic, internationally recognized state is by violating the UN Charter,” said Serbian Patriarch, adding that such violation would create a dangerous precedent of global proportions, with the most painful consequences.
“We Will Not Give Up Kosovo!”
Tanjug reports that Serbian rally against Ahtisaari’s proposal was started by the playing of the national anthem “God of Justice” outside the US Embassy in Belgrade. Facing the US embassy was a podium on which “Kosovo is the heart of Serbia” is written. Attending the rally are Serbs ethnically cleansed from Kosovo and Metohija province, citizens of Belgrade and other parts of Serbia.
Rally participants were shouting slogans “Kosovo is Serbia”, “We will not give up Kosovo”, while carrying state and party flags and symbols.
Association of Missing and Kidnapped family members were carrying the photographs of their loved ones who are still missing in Kosovo and Metohija province, and whose fate is still not known.
Leaders of Serbs from Kosovo and Metohija province and Serbia’s public and cultural life figures have also addressed the largest protest gathering of Serbian citizens since protests against NATO bombardment during the spring/summer of 1999.