Wrote: Festim Rizanaj
On April 11, a three-day rally called “We Will Not Give Up on Serbia” began in Belgrade, called by Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić and supported by supporters of the regime. The rally was called at the height of student protests that had been ongoing in Serbia for several months. On the morning of April 12, it was reported that many Serbs from Kosovo had headed to Belgrade to participate in the rally that would be held that same day.
Serbian officials and media constructed a conspiratorial narrative, claiming that the passage of long columns of buses and cars at the border crossings was an attempt to prevent it by Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti. (here)
The acting Prime Minister of Serbia, Miloš Vučević, stated that Albin Kurti attempted to prevent the entry of buses with Serbs from Kosovo into Serbia, but most of them managed to cross the border. (here, here)
Even the Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, Petar Petkovic, through a post on the X platform, stated that Albin Kurti had brutally attempted to prevent Serbs from Kosovo from participating in the popular rally "We Will Not Give Up Serbia" in Belgrade, by stopping many buses that were heading there. (here, here)
According to reports from a journalist Kosovo Online, on the morning of (08:31 – 09:07) April 12, dozens of buses with Serbs from northern Kosovo were waiting to cross at the Jarinje crossing, where apart from routine passenger checks, no major delays were reported and the journey continued normally. A similar situation was also noted at the Merdar crossing, where in the morning hours a significant increase in traffic was recorded due to the flow of vehicles with Serbian citizens traveling towards Belgrade to participate in the all-Serbian rally, and for this reason two lanes were opened to enable faster circulation. This news item shows footage from the scene, where the buses are seen waiting to cross the crossing. (here)
While in a later report published by the portal Kosovo Online, it is alleged that at some of the checkpoints, the Kosovo Police have implemented special control rules and have turned back Serbian citizens who were heading towards Belgrade to participate in the rally. According to the portal, vehicles have been turned back from the Dheu i Bardhë checkpoint, while at other checkpoints, travelers have reported that they have been asked for special documentation and that the checks have lasted longer than usual. (here) But no further details are provided regarding this claim.
Based on media reports, it appears that Serbs who intended to participate in the April 12 rally in Belgrade have successfully arrived in the capital. Reports indicate that most travelers passed through checkpoints normally, including routine checks, and continued their journey without major delays.
Therefore, the claim that Albin Kurti has blocked the crossings to prevent Serbs from crossing into Belgrade to participate in the rally is not supported by reliable facts and has not been verified by credible sources. This claim can be assessed as a conspiratorial narrative, unfounded in fact, that adds to Serbian narratives and attempts to link the events in Serbia to Prime Minister Kurti.