Missing Persons' Relatives Protest in Prishtina

KosovaLive

31 August 2004

Organized by the associations on missing persons, some 200 protestors took to the street on the international day of missing.

Kosovo demonstrations.

In the morning hours the protest was forcefully disbanded with the justification that the protesters had blocked the street.

Before the intervention, the police special units ordered the protestors to pass from the street into the boulevard, but they refused to do so.

The protest later during the day moved to the Scanderbeg Boulevard.

During the morning intervention, some 100 police officers forced some of the protestors in their minibuses and took them into custody.

"Seven days ago the protestors asked for permission to hold the protest. We told them to protest but not to block the road. We also warned them that they would be arrested if they block the road," Ashby said.

The police later announced that all of the protesters had been released.

One of the protest organizers Nysrete Kumnova, upon her release, referred to the police intervention as shameful. "We're not asking more than to learn about the fate of our sons and daughters," Kumnova said.

Agron Limani, one of the protest organizers, said that they would continue to protest and would not move from the street. "You can maltreat us .but that's not a problem. Anyway we have been psychologically maltreated.As far as the permission to hold a protest, you have not given as a clear answer," Limani addressed the police.

Before being arrested, a mother from Gjakova, Ferdeze Mullahasi said, "It is shameful that Petersen goes to the Contact Group to get the support for participation of Serbs in elections, and on the other hand he does not do anything for the missing."

Ibrahim Makolli from the Council For Defense of Human Rights and Freedoms (CDHRF) said that it is senseless what is happening here. " Those people have the right to protest. The police conduct is criminal. The use of force in this manner does not take place even in their communist countries," said Makolli referring to a Gendarmerie force from Ukraine and Poland.