Protest of the Serbs in Josanica: This is the last straw; they are beating our children; we can't take it anymore

After the brutal attack by the Kosovo police patrol on two young men of Serbian nationality in Josanica near Leposavic, the locals gathered today for a peaceful protest, where they said that they did not feel safe since the Special Forces had been deployed in their area and were demanding their withdrawal.

At the protest in Josanica, there are currently about 200 residents from Josanica, as well as the surrounding towns, who are worried about their safety because the beatings by Kosovo policemen have become more frequent.

They are asking for the withdrawal of the Special Forces who pose a danger to them every day because, as they say, since their arrival they do not feel safe but threatened, and now it is the children's turn.

Aleksandra Boskovic, the sister of one of the young men who was attacked, says that his state of health is currently good, but mentally he does not know how long it will take him to recover.

"Both my brother and the injured Lazar, their physical consequences are not as dangerous as they could have been in relation to the situation. But I don't know about the psychological ones. Today we gathered here to support my brother, the family, and the injured Lazar and his family," she said.

She thanked everyone who was at the meeting and expressed the hope that there would be even more of them in order to get more support.

"I want everyone to hear what is happening here, I pass this road every day with my children when I go to my grandmother and after this, believe me, I am no longer free and I can no longer pass with the freedom that I used to have. I want to speak publicly to the media and send a call to President Aleksandar Vucic for help in this difficult situation and to see what is actually happening here. So far there have been attacks in the enclaves, now they have moved on to us as well," Boskovic said.

She points out that anyone can be attacked and says that mothers, sisters, and women pass through there.

"There is a passable road here because there is also a mine, people pass because they go to work, women go to work, so children also go there. Are we now free to let our children go here, we are not, unfortunately, we no longer have that freedom of movement. I am once again appealing to the president to support us, to address us and help us, because we have not known what peaceful sleep is since this summer, and especially since the night before last," Boskovic said.

Resident Goran Vukojevic pointed out that what had happened had not been just one incident, but the last straw.

"This is the last straw, that they are beating our children, we can no longer tolerate it. I am telling our authorities, President Vucic, the EU, the international community, and KFOR to suppress these terrorists. They are terrorists regardless of the fact that they are in uniform, they beat children for no reason, those children were walking in their village, and they intercepted them and falsely accused them of being smugglers; we have no protection, everyone must know that," Vukojevic said.

He adds that they must organize themselves regardless of politics, regardless of everything.

"If this continues, everything will be lost, or we can organize ourselves like we used to and intercept them, but we don't want that, we want to live peacefully, we are the hosts. There are no terrorists here, no criminals, let everyone do their job, but they must not touch the people," he said.

He states that they are all relatives there and that they made a peaceful protest, without knowing what they will do in the future.

"We have to survive here, I call on all people not to be demoralized, I call on the state of Serbia not to forget us, to support us, to stand in our protection. The international community supports fascism because what is happening here against the Serbs is fascism. These are not policemen, they are criminals, and terrorists; they beat children. You raise them and they go out on the road and someone intercepts them to pull them out of the car and beat them; they don't let us be Serbs. This is terrible what is happening to us," Vukojevic concluded.