A Russian-language channel on Telegram "BALKANARY"(Balkanar) has published a CONTENT with the claim that in the capital of Kosovo, Pristina "The riots haven't stopped for two weeks", describing the streets as filled with tear gas, pyrotechnics and clashes between police and protesters.
The same claim was later published by the Russian propaganda network "Pravda", which publishes content in Albanian, which presents the situation in Pristina as ongoing unrest for two weeks.
What's wrong with this claim?
This description does not match the documented developments during the protests. Protests against the Specialist Chambers verdict in The Hague began on 16 September and, as of 4 October, lasted for 19 days. During this period, there were no reports of riots or sustained clashes between protesters and police. The protests were largely peaceful.
On October 4, the day before the escalation of the situation, Koha.net reported that the 19th protest against the verdict of the Special Court was being held in Pristina’s Skanderbeg Square. According to the report, the protests had been organized since September 16, after the verdict against the former KLA leaders was announced (see here).
Even the Associated Press (AP), in a report on September 25, described the protests that took place after the verdict as largely peaceful, reporting on daily protests in Kosovo (see here).
So, the fact that the protests lasted for about 19 days does not mean that the “riots” lasted for 19 days. These are two different situations.
The situation escalated on 5 October. Kosovo Police reported that during the evening some protesters threw pyrotechnics, fireworks and strong weapons towards the Government and Parliament buildings. As a result, the police used tear gas and water cannon to disperse the crowd (see here).
So, the claim that Pristina has been “unrest for two weeks” is incorrect. The protests have continued for 19 days, starting on September 16, but reliable sources describe them as largely peaceful. Clashes and the use of tear gas, water cannons, and pyrotechnic devices were noted on October 5.
Analyze
A Russian channel on Telegram and the Russian propaganda network "Pravda" falsely claim that there have been riots in Pristina for two weeks.
However, the facts present a completely different situation. The protests began on September 16 and were largely peaceful until October 4. Clashes with police and the use of tear gas and fireworks were recorded on October 5.
Based on its work methodology, hibrid.info assesses this content as "Disinformation".
rationale
"Disinformation" is defined as information content that contains a "mix" of inaccurate sources or even half-truthful attributes, and that is created and/or distributed with the deliberate intention of causing harm. The motive behind the producers/distributors of disinformation content lies in achieving a political, financial, psychological or social goal.