Prishtina, 11 March, 2024
The Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, has held a conversation with former political prisoners and students to mark the 43rd anniversary of the 1981 demonstrations, which was organized at the Student Canteen in Pristina.
Remembering the period of that time, Prime Minister Kurti said that the spring of 1981 continues to be a cornerstone of the republican state of independent Kosovo, but also an example of student zeal, which does not end with studies, but only begins with them, since represents the most politically and nationally emancipated part of our people and our society.
He expressed deep gratitude and gratitude to all the participants of those demonstrations, stressing that everything started on March 4 here in the Student Canteen, March 11, which was followed by March 26 and April 1 and 2, and the foundations of injustices of Yugoslavia, which had as their main slogan what we have all said with our activism, i.e. Kosovo Republic.
“From the Republic of Kosovo to the Republic of Kosovo, this is how the generations of Albanians are connected, which they fight relentlessly for liberation and equality”, said Prime Minister Kurti, emphasizing that the independent Kosovo that we enjoy today has in its foundations the sacrifice of many generations, the struggle of many generations, which we never forget and regularly commemorate.
Prime Minister Kurti’s complete speech:
Dear students,
Dear guests, ladies and gentlemen, sisters and brothers,
Dear colleagues from the Government of the Republic of Kosovo, the Minister of Education and the Minister of Culture, Arbëria and Hajrullau,
Dear collaborators of the national issue,
Dear political activists, you participated in and organized the popular demonstrations of the spring of 1981, which began as student protests.
Here we have some of them, we have Hydajet Hyseni, Xhemajl Pllana, Shefik Sadiku, Kadri Batusha and others, who at that time when discrimination against Albanians, exploitation and injustices were increasing, raised their voices and in this way showed that the so-called Yugoslavia socialist there were peoples and people who were more equal than others. And, in this way, they made the international public opinion aware, at the time when the Albanian student and popular uprising of Kosovo coincided with the unionist “Solidarnost” in Poland at that time.
Therefore, the spring of 1981 continues to be a cornerstone of the republican state of independent Kosovo, but at the same time an example of student zeal, which does not end with studies, but only begins with them, since it also represents the most politically and nationally emancipated part of our people and our society.
On this occasion, I want to express my deep thanks and gratitude to all the participants of those demonstrations. It was March 4th here in the Student Canteen when it all started, March 11th which was followed by March 26th and April 1st and 2nd and the unjust foundations of AVNOIT Yugoslavia, which had as its main slogan what we all said, were shaken with our activism, i.e. Kosovo Republic.
From the Republic of Kosovo to the Republic of Kosovo, generations of Albanians are connected, who fight relentlessly for liberation and equality.
We are in the Students’ Canteen, where today we freely enjoy this independent Kosovo, which in its foundations has the sacrifice of many generations, the struggle of many generations, which we never forget and regularly commemorate.
I wish good health, good studies and success in life to all the students who are here, since these are indicators of the economic, political and cultural future of our Republic, of state institutions, of society and of the people.
Congratulations on March 11, this day of the student uprising that became popular, and now I wanted to give the floor to Hydajet Hyseni, who in the famous photo of the demonstrations of March and April of 1981 is there in the tree with a megaphone, and next to him is Kadri Batusha, who is again next to Hydayet Hyseni, but this time here in the Students’ Canteen.
Thank you.
Last modified: March 12, 2024