Serbs from Strpce with compatriots in the north: Harmony is our greatest strength

A thousand residents of Strpce gathered today to express their dissatisfaction with, as they said at the meeting, the repression they were constantly suffering from the Pristina authorities, which aims at eviction of Serbs, as well as the entire situation in the north of Kosovo.

Those gathered carried banners with the messages "Vucic, keep the Serbs and peace", "Support to our brothers from the north", "Stop violence against Serbs", "Freedom for our brothers", and "We just want peace".

The Mayor of Strpce, Dalibor Jevtic, addressed the gathered locals and said that Serbs will no longer suffer any form of violence. 

"We will fight democratically and peacefully, no matter how much Kurti presents us as criminals and all the other names he calls us, he must know that we have strength reflected in the unity and that is why every Serb who lives in the south or the north must raise his voice against oppression, against violence and against everything that the current Government of Kosovo is doing today. We just want to be on our own and to stay and survive here, not threatening anyone," Jevtic said.

At that meeting, Jevtic sent a message of peace, a message of unity, but also a message of support to compatriots, in the north of Kosovo, who are facing great pressure.

"I call on all those who are responsible for safety, security, and freedom to do their job and to influence those who make unilateral decisions today in Pristina, to stop doing that. The municipality of Strpce went through the worst form of repression for nothing. They closed our doors. The Provisional authority is still keeping our brothers in custody, sowing fear and trying in different ways to make us leave these areas," Jevtic said.

Resident and student of the Faculty of Law in Kosovska Mitrovica, Magdalena Racicevic asked all relevant factors in Kosovo why the Serbs were in the way.

"There are no words that can adequately describe everything that we feel regarding everything that has been happening in recent months. And we ask ourselves why? Why do we bother, why do they want to expel us from our centuries-old hearths? Is that just because we are Serbs? I want to convey to Kosovska Mitrovica from our Strpce, full support for our compatriots in the north of Kosovo and Metohija. I know that they are suffering great injustice and pressure. I know and sympathize with them because we have also been and still are going through pressure and attacks and various injustices here. Today our sisters in Kosovska Mitrovica are raising their voices against the oppression that is imposed on them, and that's why we are sending them full support from here! Today, my colleagues from Strpce to Leposavic, from Metohija to Pomoravlje, are harmonious and united just like the Serbian people. That is our greatest strength," Racicevic said. 

At the meeting, the greatest faith was expressed to the state of Serbia and President Aleksandar Vucic, with the words "We trust him because he is fighting for peace and we hope that he will find a way to ensure security, to preserve life, for students to study so that they can work tomorrow and stay here".