Citizens of North Mitrovica: With this gathering, we are sending a message of peace

The citizens of North Mitrovica, after holding a gathering at Brace Milic Square due to Pristina's announcements about opening the bridge over the Ibar, told Kosovo Online that they wanted to send a message of peace, which they hope will reach all Quint countries and the UN.

"We wanted to send a message that we are for peace and freedom, but that we have our rights. This was without any incidents or hatred, and we hope our country, which stands behind us and is with us, will try everything and all political measures to resolve this. The people are on the edge of their nerves, and that's the biggest problem. There are big problems because of money, there are elderly people who cannot buy medicines or get treatment. The youth don't have freedom, not to mention stricter measures being implemented," one of the residents of North Mitrovica told us.

Milos Spasojevic also believes that the messages are about peace.

"We want to tell the Quint countries and the UN that we are on our own land and that the bridge offers us a kind of peace. We know what happened 20 years ago and the kinds of riots that occurred," he says.

One resident mentioned that Serbs live in fear because everything has been taken from them.

"Opening the bridge is not good, they have taken everything, this is the only thing left. They might as well take our soul too. They invade in a cruel and stupid way, surprisingly. Our children are in fear, they wake up in fear. We need a good number of doctors to examine the children who live and work here. Parents have lost their jobs, we pensioners support them all. Does the world see this? This is genocide upon genocide of living people. It would be more honest to say they will kill us all and that we will no longer exist, so we can be at peace," she emphasizes.