Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Justice Donika Gërvalla commemorated today the 45th anniversary of the 1981 demonstrations, one of the most important moments of the resistance of people of Kosovo for freedom and equality.

Statement by the Minister:

In the spring of 1981, the Kosovo heart stood up against the Serbian occupation and the oppression exercised by the brutal apparatus of Yugoslavia, gripping the country severely. University of Pristina students became the voice of an entire people, challenging the brutality and injustice imposed by the dominant barbaric-Serbian power. Their revolt was not simply a demonstration, it was an expression of national pride, civic courage and determination to never submit.

Large demonstrations were organized on March 26, as well as on April 1 and 2, 1981, transforming the student movement into a broad popular mobilization throughout Kosovo. It was in this context that the political demand:  Kosovo-Republic!”, which was to remain a symbol of that period, was openly articulated.

The slogan “Kosovo-Republic” became a symbol of the aspiration for freedom and dignity, igniting the flame that would fuel the Constitutional Declaration on July 2, 1990, the Constitution of Kaçanik on September 7, 1990, and finally, the declaration of independence of the Republic of Kosovo on February 17, 2008.

45 years later, we remember with honor the students, the wounded and political prisoners, and the organizers of the time, who challenged Serbian barbarity and kept alive and brought to life the dream of a free and sovereign Kosovo.

Eternal glory to those who fell for the Republic of Kosovo!