The plenary session of the Kosovo Assembly began by commemorating the Spring 1981 protests. The Speaker of the Assembly of Kosovo, Albulena Haxhiu, said that these protests marked a turning point for the country.

“We remember the Spring 1981 protests, one of the clearest moments of political expression of Kosovo Albanians. They began with students as a response to a specific injustice, but very quickly turned into an open demand for equality, dignity, and political status under the slogan ‘Kosovo Republic,’” Haxhiu said.