Protests erupted in Pristina immediately after the guilty verdict against four former leaders of the Kosovo Liberation Army in The Hague, where isolated episodes of unrest were also recorded.
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Right after the ruling of the Kosovo Specialist Chambers was read, on Wednesday, September 16, hundreds of citizens poured in front of the EULEX building in the capital to voice their opposition. During this demonstration, a group of people threw bottles and pyrotechnic devices at the headquarters of the European mission.
Afterwards, part of the demonstrators headed toward the Kosovo Government building, where the situation grew tense again with objects being hurled. To prevent escalation, law enforcement had to intervene and arrest some of the participants.
Ahead of a scheduled protest, the Kosovo Police appealed to the public to respect the legal framework and the directives of the blue uniforms, asking that gatherings be held peacefully and without danger.
In its statement, the police urged citizens to show restraint, avoid wearing masks and refrain from throwing hard objects or other items.
“To ensure public order, protect life and property, and provide security for the community and participants, the Kosovo Police invites all those present at any demonstration to obey legal norms and the instructions of our officers, to be level-headed, not to throw items or hard objects, not to wear masks, and to help the protest proceed peacefully and without incidents,” the announcement stressed.
“Destabilization starts with small provocations”
According to security expert Fidair Berisha, the incidents recorded after the Specialist Court’s decision should be taken seriously by the competent bodies, but without generating panic and without confusing legitimate protest with violent acts.
In an interview for “Bota sot”, Berisha emphasized that the population has the right to protest and express dissatisfaction, while aggression against institutions and arming oneself with dangerous means constitute an entirely separate problem.
“From my professional perspective, the recent events must be treated seriously, without giving them exaggerated proportions or linking citizen protests to acts of violence. Obviously, citizens have every right to express their revolt, whereas attacks on state buildings, throwing hard objects and attempts to provoke conflicts are something else,” he stated.
Berisha stressed that the appearance of masked individuals and the throwing of stones at the EULEX facility, together with the unrest at other institutional sites, constitute an alarm that requires intensified engagement from security structures.
“The most serious risk in these circumstances remains the manipulation of citizens’ emotions. After such a delicate verdict, emotions are natural and to be expected. Precisely at such moments, certain individuals or groups may aim to exploit this anger to instigate incidents and shift attention from peaceful protest to violence,” he added.
Regarding suspicions of involvement by the Serbian secret service or other hostile structures in the demonstrations, Berisha was cautious, underscoring that accusations must be based on concrete facts.
“As for the possibility of infiltration by BIA or other malevolent actors, I would be reserved about making unsupported claims. In the security field, a suspicion does not automatically turn into reality. Nevertheless, institutions must examine this as one of the potential scenarios, investigating through intelligence and professional mechanisms,” he said.
The expert added that institutions have the duty to distinguish between peaceful demonstrators and those exercising violence. “The calm protester should not be seen as a danger, while the one who uses force and provokes clashes must be identified and brought to justice. Therefore, intelligence services must monitor the situation and be in close coordination with the Police,” Berisha said.
He warned that without timely and professional management, tense situations can precipitate. “Destabilization does not always start with a big bang; it can begin with small provocations, fake news and conflicts that expand if institutions do not intervene quickly. Therefore, prevention and information control are vital before the crisis escalates,” he concluded.
Attention to masks and hidden agendas
As protests entered their sixth day on Monday, calls for restraint also came from political analyst Ali Hertica. He urged vigilance toward individuals or groups that aim to divert demonstrations toward violent acts.
“We must be extremely careful with the crowd and any extremist currents that try to sabotage the protest. Even if we don’t know who is behind a provocation, we must be aware that such incidents can be used to damage the image of Kosovo and of former KLA fighters,” Hertica told “Bota sot”.
According to him, masks do not necessarily point to a single entity, but signal efforts to conceal identity and intentions. “Behind these masks there may be people or interests that want to avoid responsibility. Therefore, heightened attention is required,” he said.
Hertica stressed that the popular anger after The Hague ruling can be exploited by various actors to incite unrest. “Dissatisfaction is a legitimate right, but a clear distinction must be drawn between the peaceful protester and the one with a different agenda. Any attempt to turn a protest into violence would be against national interests,” he said.
He also echoed the spying cases recently uncovered in Kosovo: “In more than two years, several people have been arrested on suspicion of collaborating with Serbia’s BIA. These cases make us cautious of any attempt at interference or destabilization. It is not about accusing without evidence, but about not ignoring any possibility that endangers security.”
In closing, Hertica reminded that political parties and protest leaders bear the responsibility to call for calm and distance themselves from violence. “Every provocation can be instrumentalized against Kosovo. We must be very careful with these ‘masks’ and with attempts to divert a legitimate citizen response into a danger for the country’s stability,” Hertica concluded.
