A border protest against Serbian goods that stretched into the wee hours Monday morning was finally called off as temperatures dipped below zero.
Pristina The protesters, led by the nationalist opposition Self-Determination (Vetevendosje) Movement, said that they had achieved their goal of preventing Serbian made products from entering Kosovo at the Merdare and Dheu i Bardhe borders.The demonstration, the second of its kind in the past ten days, was called off after midnight due to temperatures that reached minus 4 degrees Celsius.
“Due to logistics restrictions caused by the police, and the low temperatures reigning at the sites of protest, it was impossible to ensure the safety of the demonstrators in Merdare,” says a press release issued by Vetevendosje on Monday.
Hundreds of citizens responded to the call of Vetevendosje to block the free flow of goods at the northeast and southeast border crossings with Serbia.
Their action was aimed at upholding a parliamentary motion advocating a trade ban with Serbia. Activists critised the government for passing the trade ban measure and then failing to implement it.
No incidents were reported in Sunday's protest.
Brahim Sadriu, police spokesperson, told Balkan Insight on Monday that only one demonstrator was arrested, and he was detained after the protest ended.
“Police detained one person who was returning in a bus from Dheu i Bardh to Prizren, due to a incident that happened inside the bus. The suspect was apprehended due to a quarrel with another person, and on suspicion of stabbing that person... Otherwise Vetevendosje’s protest was peaceful and calm,” Kosovo Police said.
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