Kosovo's police engaged in clashes with veterans of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA), who were protesting outside a hotel in Pristina where the president of the Kosovo Specialist Chambers, Ekaterina Trendafilova, was lodged.

The Kosovo Specialist Chambers & Specialist Prosecutor’s Office was set up in 2015 in The Hague to probe and prosecute war crimes committed by former KLA members who fought for independence from Serbia, during the conflict in 1998-99. The institution is working under Kosovo's jurisdiction.

The protest saw KLA veterans expressing their opposition to the war crime court. Protesters voiced concerns about the lack of transparency within the court, highlighting its closed trial sessions and the absence of information regarding the sources of evidence.

Key figures such as Kosovo's former president Hashim Thaci, ex-parliament speaker Kadri Veseli, and former MP Rexhep Selimi, who were all leaders of the KLA, are presently facing trial in The Hague.

Members of Kosovo’s leftist Social Democratic Party (PSD) attempted to access Sirius hotel in Pristina where Trendafilova was meeting with NGO representatives.

Activating smoke bombs and launching pyrotechnic devices, the veterans clashed with the police, resulting in the use of tear gas by the police, Kosovo-online reported.

The clash also led to the detention of several activists from the PSD, heightening the tensions on the streets of Pristina.

As the situation escalated, journalists covering the protest were caught in the crossfire. The Kosovo police's use of tear gas created breathing problems for some reporters on the scene, Telegrafi reported.

The Association of Journalists of Kosovo expressed deep concern over the police actions, condemning the use of force against journalists and calling for respect for their professional duties.