Vukovic: Freedom has no price; Stevic: There is no going back from here

From today's gathering in North Mitrovica called "Mothers of Kosovo and Metohija against Kurti's Ghetto", where more than 5,000 women gathered, messages of peace, but also perseverance in the fight for freedom and staying in the territory of Kosovo, were sent.

Ana Vuković, the mother of 11 children, told the gathering today that freedom had no price and called on the international community, KFOR and European leaders to prevent Albin Kurti from creating an even bigger mess than the one we are in now.

"Even today, we left our children at home to stand on the sidelines of freedom, freedom that has no price. For Kurti, there is no Serbian culture and tradition in these areas, for them there is only one goal, which is to exterminate, destroy and forever expel the people who have lived here for centuries. I was born in Sipolje, not far from here, and even as a child I felt their bitterness and cruelty, and now as a mother of 11 children, I wonder if they will go through the same thing, if they would destroy and expel them too. Can we trust Kurti, are we naive, his politics is hatred and we women, mothers and sisters today can only have confidence in our country Serbia, in our army, ministers, our president and above all to have hope in our God. Today, when we celebrate our Saints they do not give us peace, that's why I use this pulpit to, as a mother and a woman, call on international organizations, KFOR, European leaders, to prevent Kurti from creating chaos because we just want to live in peace and for our children to grow up in freedom," Ana said.

Then Svetlana Stevic, a mother of four children who lives in the north and works in the south, took the floor and pointed out that no one can divide it, because it is one whole.

"We gathered here today to show the whole world how many of us there are and that we are unique in our struggle, unique above all in staying and surviving in our centuries-old hearths. As a mother of four children and a grandmother of three grandchildren who lives in the north and works at south, I want to say that we are one and that the soul is not separated from the body and is not divided. In this fight for basic human rights, we must persevere because we want above all peace for our children, to live and grow up like all other children. Yes their everyday lives should not be sirens for alarms, but playgrounds, cinemas and theaters. Thank you our country, Serbia, for standing by us today and in these difficult moments, taking care of us and selflessly helping us, and most importantly, advocating for peace and stability. The struggle of mothers is great , they don't only worry about the children, whether they are dressed and fed, but also whether they will return safely from school, they also worry about their questionable future in this area. And that is why, from this place, from the holy Serbian land, we send a message of peace and a prayer to the Lord to protect us. 

Let me convey my support from the south, from Kusak, from Gracanica and from every other place in the area of Kosovo and Metohija where Serbs live. There is no going back from here," Stevic said.

The protest called "Mothers of Kosovo and Metohija against the Kurti’s ghetto" is the response of women from the north of Kosovo to the "oppression and cruelty" that they say they suffer daily from the authorities in Pristina.