NEW YORK – People were
cheering and proudly waving
the newly-revealed flag of
Kosovo. Some people were
sitting on top of driven cars,
honking and cheering at the
crowds.
On Sunday, Feb. 17, an estimated
10,000 Albanian-
Americans gathered in Times
Square to celebrate the declaration
of Kosovo’s independence
from Serbia.
A decade after a separatist
war between Kosovo and
Serbia that claimed 10,000
lives, lawmakers pronounced
the territory the Republic of
Kosovo and pledged to make
it a “democratic and multiethnic
state.”
Even though Serbia called
the declaration illegal and its
ally Russia denounced it,
claiming it threatened to start
a new conflict in the Balkans,
that didn’t stop people from
celebrating for more than five
hours in the freezing cold
along Manhattan streets.
There were people waving
the flag and wearing t-shirts,
which said “Thank you
U.S.A.” on one side, with the
Kosovo flag posted on the
back.
Police promptly put up barriers
on both sides of the
street, although they were not
needed because the celebration
was very peaceful. All
over Times Square, people
sported red and black t-shirts,
jackets, hats and other apparel
in favor of Kosovo.
There was no shortage of
happiness and pride that
emanated from every single
person who lined the streets.
Ramiz Hopi, a 42-year-old
restaurant owner who lives in
Manhattan said, “After 3,000
years for this miracle to happen
for us is like a child being
born.”
Kosovo had formally
remained a part of Serbia
even though it has been
administered by the U.N. and
NATO since 1999 when
NATO airstrikes ended
Slobodan Milosevic’s, a former
Yugoslav leader, crackdown
on ethnic Albanian separatists.
Sunday’s declaration was
carefully orchestrated with
the U.S. and key European
powers. Ninety percent of
Kosovo’s 2-million people are
ethnic Albanian, and most of
them are Muslim. They see
no reason to stay joined to the
rest of Christian Orthodox
Serbia.
Hopi said, “It’s very emotional.
We lost the lives of
women, kids and soldiers, so
I want to be here for the celebration.
[Kosovo] will be the
newest country in the Balkans
thanks to America, and we
have to kiss this ground.”
Private Second Class
Adrian Ariffi of the U.S.
Army was also there for the
celebration, representing
America and Kosovo. Ariffi
said, “We are extremely
happy, everyone’s emotional,
this is a miracle brought
down from God and I’m
happy and I love everyone
here.”
When asked if he thought
that this day would ever
come, Ariffi said, “I knew
that this day would come. All
we had to do was stick
together and unite as
Albanians and fight for our
independence and we finally
got it.”
Ariffi hopes that Kosovo
will soon become a part of the
European Union, and that
Kosovo’s newly declared
independence will help the
economy rise in Kosovo.
“We already use European
currency in Kosovo, so it’s
just a matter of time until
Kosovo becomes a part of the
European Union,” said Ariffi
with a beaming smile on his
face.