Speakers at a gathering organised in the northern part of Kosovska Mitrovica following the resignation of Serb officials in Kosovo said that they wish to send messages of peace, but also that Kosovo Serbs do not want to continue enduring “persecution” from Pristina.

The gathering, which began with the church choir Branislav Nusic performing the national anthem of Serbia, lasted for about an hour.

Among the speakers were officials from the Serb List political party which organised the protest, as well as numerous representatives of Serb officials in Kosovo.

The leader of the Serb List, Goran Rakic, said that the resignations were submitted with the intention to defend the Brussels Agreement and international public law. He said the goal is to send a clear message to Pristina and the international community that “persecution, stealing Serb property, harassing Serbs and making false accusations against them, threats of arrests” must be stopped.

The vice president of the Serb List, Igor Simic, said that the Serb officials submitted their resignations „with a clear conscience“, arguing that they “tried everything for nine and a half years” in order to achieve reconciliation.

„The resignations are not the result of us getting tired of the battle because we will not be a cover for Kosovo’s institutions to continue to perpetrate institutional violence against our people,“ he said, arguing that Serbs in Kosovo are waiting for the establishment of the Community of Serb Municipalities for the past decade.

The speakers praised Serbian President, Aleksandar Vucic, saying he continues fighting for the survival of Serbs in Kosovo.

The northern part of Mitrovica is full of Serbian flags. However, a group of young people in one of the streets displayed the flags of Kosovo and Albania, reports local media.

Meanwhile, the Kosovo Police said that someone set fire to a barn belonging to a police officer in the area of Leposavic on Saturday evening.