“In the name of the people of Kosovo” did not feel like justice

When the broadcast on the large screen ended, most people turned and walked toward Mother Teresa Avenue in Prishtina, with their heads and their flags down, looking utterly defeated. Later that evening, some protesters whose anger got the better of them, gathered outside the EULEX offices, throwing stones and objects at the building, with pyrotechnics causing a small section of the roof to catch fire; others blocked the street at one of the entrances to Prishtina. Crowds also gathered in front of the Government building, where some participants tried to restrain masked protesters and discussed what it would mean, in such a situation, to turn against the government or the police.

The court, voted for by the Kosovo Assembly, was in The Hague after all. Both the Kosovo Specialist Chambers and the Specialist Prosecutor’s Office are part of Kosovo’s judicial system but operate in The Hague with international judges, prosecutors and staff.  These subsequent protests could be seen as attempts to take back some control after a very emotional day. But the judgement remains.

And the protests did not end that day.