The first demonstration in Kosovo was organized in Prizren, a massive demonstration of the youth and the Albanian people of Kosovo, with the main demand that Kosovo be recognized as a republic within the Yugoslav Federation. In the preceding period, with the discussions on constitutional changes, with the Linguistic Consultation of Pristina, with the manifestations on the occasion of the 500th anniversary of Skanderbeg’s death and with the student movements in Europe, a favorable political climate was already created in Kosovo for demands regarding the advancement of rights of Albanians in Yugoslavia. Thus, during October and November of 1968, massive demonstrations of the youth and the Albanian people broke out in many cities of Kosovo, which had as their main demand the recognition of the status of the republic for Kosovo and the right of Albanians to self-determination. The first demonstration in Kosovo was organized in Prizren. Symbolically, this demonstration began and ended in front of the building of the Albanian League of Prizren, where the Republic of Kosovo was publicly demanded for the first time. A similar demonstration was organized in Suharekë on October 8 and in Peja on October 19, 1968. These were the first demonstrations in Kosovo organized by student youth after the Second World War. The demonstrations of 1968 for the first time brought to light the great Albanian problem in Yugoslavia, which until then the Yugoslav government had tried to keep closed in various ways. Regardless of the harshness with which the government of that time responded, the demonstrations had an extremely important effect on the acceleration of several processes in Kosovo: the establishment of the University of Pristina was accelerated, constitutional amendments were approved that advanced the status of Kosovo, its economic development accelarated, new institutions were founded and cultural and educational cooperation with Albania intensified. (In the photo: Moment from the first demonstration in Kosovo.)
Text: The encyclopedic dictionary of Kosovo – Vol. I , Academy of Sciences and Arts of Kosovo, Prishtina, 2018, page 311.
Photo: © https://lajm.co/demonstratat-e-vitit-1968-ne-kujtimet-e-nje-pjesemarresi
Graphic processing: AHCF
