Residents of Pristina have been protesting from their balconies to condemn Kosovo’s politicians for causing a political crisis, during the time of the Coronavirus pandemic.
Kosovo has been on lockdown for six days and tonight, the fifth night of balcony protests is expected to take place in the capital. Those protesting have been banging pots and pans and shouting.
The protests are organised by Replike, an anonymous group of local activists who told local media that they are doing it to express their dissatisfaction at the political developments of the last week.
Prishtina sonte: njerzit po i mshojne tenxhereve kunder rrezimit te qeverise dhe po brohorisin "Albin Kurti" & "me hajna nuk ka shtet" pic.twitter.com/Z6YGdSD7Cw
— Lura Limani (@LuraLim) March 19, 2020
“The idea of a protest […] from the balconies […] was born out of the anger, despair and the people’s faint hopes that one day they will have responsible, conscientious people in power, who put the needs of the citizens ahead of their own personal interests,” organizers explained after the first day of protest.
Others stated that politicians are using the pandemic for political gains, and that they are far from people’s concerns regarding the spread of the virus and country’s economy.
Kosovo has been in the midst of a political crisis during the last week, at a time when the country’s institutions should be focusing on preventing the spread of Coronavirus. The government has been divided on whether to declare a state of emergency and the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) has brought a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Albin Kurti.
Here's the best footage as #Prishtina residents take to their balconies to protest with pots and pans against LDK plans to overthrow the government of #Kosovo in midst of the #covid19 crisis. pic.twitter.com/H2ZbUK7qmj
— Xhemajl Rexha (@xhemajl_rexha) March 19, 2020
Organizers of the protest say that this is diminishing citizens’ trust in the government during a time when it is essential.
Whilst it’s not clear if the parliament will be able to bring MPs together in a plenary session to vote on the LDK’s motion against the prime minister, due to the measures against the epidemic, Pristina residents are set for their sixth night of protest from their homes.
