RILINDJA newspaper and the 81’ protests

Professor: Dafina Paca
Student: Arben I. Llapashtica
KIJAC 2008

“All publishing, journalistic and graphic design staff of the “Rilindja” newspaper, unanimously and strongly denounce the protests as organized by enemy elements, and support the containment measures taken by the political-social organizations and government institution. Especially the protests have worked against the Albanian ethnicities and their successes achieved under the self-governing period of socialist development. “We are convinced that such protests are harmful to the Albanian ethnicities, as well as all other Yugoslavian ones”.[1]
At the end of World War II, Kosova was firmly inserted under the Yugoslavian political umbrella. Kosova was sanctioned an autonomous province under the Republic of Serbia by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of the People of Yugoslavia, ratified on January 31st, 1946. But Albanians of Kosova were denied their basic human rights. Discriminated against, and treated as an ethnic minority, they asked for a Kosovar Republic in the Yugoslavian Federation.
The 1968 protests secured a better status for Albanians in Yugoslavia. In 1969, Albanian became an official language in Yugoslavia, the Albanian flag was legalized and in 1970 the University of Prishtina was founded.

After the ratification of the 1974 Constitution, Kosova gained the right of representation in all administrative and executive branches of the government, as well as the right to veto in the Yugoslavian Federate, the same as its other 6 federal constituents such as the Republic of Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia and Serbia. The February 27, 1974, Constitution of the Socialist and Autonomous Province of Kosova, defined Kosova a social and political entity in its first article, but with hybrid political and juridical ties, when it stated that “Kosova is under the jurisdiction of the Socialist Republic of Serbia and the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia”. Even after the constitution was ratified, Kosova was still in an unfavorable position. Its economic, political and social conditions declined with the death of the Communist leader after WWII - Joseph Broz Tito in 1980.
This constitution paled after 1981, obliging the majority of the ethnic Albanians, 90% of Kosova’s population, to ask for equal rights with other ethnicities. The “spontaneous” shaking of the Yugoslavian Federate had started. On March 11, 1981, the students of the University of Prishtina (around 50000 at the time) had already started demanding better fare in the University Cafeteria, which later instigated protests that spread throughout the territories of Kosova.
These demands were ignored by the Province Committee of Albanians and Serbs which governed the province of Kosova.
Desperate, students escalated their protests. The 1981 protests started on March 11, to continue on the 25th, 26th, then on April 1, 2, 3, 4.
The simple people, the workers, youth and many other citizens joined the student protests, thus giving them a totally different direction. That particular period was considered a decisive turn of Kosova towards its freedom. The violence used by the Yugoslavian police on the protesting students had influence the rest of the people, causing the outbursts of April 1981. These protests, known as “The Albanian Spring 81” were the first to articulate the Republic of Kosova demands.
On April 1st, the people gathered from all regions of Kosova, and protested under violence and tear gas, demanding “Conditions for Students” “Conditions for the workers” “Down with enslavement, long live freedom” “Kosova is ours” “Trepce is ours” Kosova-Republic” “We are Albanians, not Yugoslavians”.
As per Rexhep Qosja, academic:“We would not get to where we are today, if not for the protests of 1981”.[2]
The American newspaper “NEW YORK TIMES” summed the 1981 protests thus:
“There are 6 republics in the Yugoslavian Federate. What difference would the 7th republic make? Why shouldn’t Kosova be a republic if 90% of its inhabitants are ethnic Albanians”.[3]

“Corriere della Sera” of Milan reported on April 1981: “Kosova is always a forbidden land to foreign diplomats and journalists. The region is still on high alert and all our information is being received through the filters of official statements”.
This essay will analyze some articles in the Albanian newspapers of the time reporting on the 1981 protests. The largest Albanian newspaper of the time was “Rilindja” established after World War II by the Yugoslavian communists. We will try to analyze how much this newspaper actually served its primary purpose, by comparing and analyzing its articles and their pro-Yugoslavian politics and promotion of unity-brotherhood, with the illegally published articles that supported the protesters and the “Revolutionary Group of Kosova” organization, and later on “The Marxist-Leninist Organization of Kosova” which also supported the 1981 protests.
All the political development of the Yugoslavia at the time have been filtered through the news agency “TANYUG”[4] .
Kosovar Newspaper “RILINDJA” was obliged to publish all the initiatives, political developments and the statements of the committee. In a way, “RILINDJA”, was the spoke-agency of the central committee of the communist party of Yugoslavia.
During the March and April protests of 1981, “RILINDJA” would only publish the speeches of the region committee conference, the central committee of Yugoslavia, the Socialist Coalition, while leaving very little space to the demands of its citizens, spread out in almost all of Kosova. The newspaper published almost in full all the speeches of the main political leaders of the time, and very few articles of the Albanian journalists and authors, whether in “Rilindja” or its periodic supplements.
After the protests, there wasn’t much space for the protesters voices either. The headlines of the largest newspaper in Kosova were full of declarations, speeches, and minutes from the regional committee meetings in Kosova.
“Proclamation; all the relevant measures will be taken against these hostile actions” was one of the declarations of comrade Xhavid Nimani, chairman of the Board of the Socialist and Autonomous Region of Kosova (KSAK).
“The enemy tried to deceive our studying and working youth for its own treacherous purposes. The people, nations and ethnicities of Kosova saw this, and the enemy did not manage to weaken the unity-brotherhood and trust in between all nations and ethnicities in Kosova”.[5]
The paper called the protesters “irredentists”, “counter-revolutionaries”, led by “enemy entities”. The declaration of the chairman of the Board of the Socialist and Autonomous Region of Kosova, Xhavid Nimani, states: “These enemy entities only used nationalistic and demagogic slogans, in order to gather as many young people and other citizens, but they also used dirty ways too, such as pressure, blackmail, even maltreatment of children”.[6]
Avni Spahiu, Chair of “Radio Kosova”, was its correspondent and journalists in USA during 1981. He concedes that the circumstances of the time were very difficult for the Kosovar journalism.
“We, the journalists and editors of ‘RILINDJA’, were aware of everything happening around us. Individually, deep inside we all supported them. But there was no way to publish our own personal opinions or even that of the editors, because it was not possible to have them published without any repercussions for the author”.[7]
“Voice of Youth” was a magazine of a political, social, informative, cultural and literary nature during 1981. This magazine was more privileged then the daily newspapers such as “RILINDJA”. Sejdi Osmani was the chief editor of the “Voice of Youth” magazine. Even if this magazine was a periodical, it was still impossible to support the protesters, because of the repercussions it would bring.
“The night the March 11 protests, I had already sent all the magazine material to the mill. The magazine was then published weekly and it stayed sometime in the publishing mill. After the protests started that evening, someone from the party leaders of the time went to the mill, checks the materials submitted and orders about 70 per cent of it pulled out. Then the mill manager calls me immediately and tells me what happened. I then went to the mill and returned all the materials back to the publishing staff and asked the managers not to pull anything that I had submitted since I was the chief editor of the magazine and it was solely my decision what to publish or not. Later, this fact was used as an excuse to attack “Voice of Youth” from some communists, accusing us that through our articles we were supporting the protesters and inciting all irredentists and nationalistic feelings of Kosovar youth”.[8]
The freedom of speech and media was strictly forbidden in Kosova. If something was published that did not fit into the frames set by the Socialist Coalition, or the Communist Party, there was no predicting what type of repercussions would be doled out for the journalists and editors. At that time, there were also illegal newspapers which supported the Kosovar demands for Kosova-Republic. One of them was the “LIRIA (Freedom)”. The Marxist-Leninist Organization of Kosova published this newspaper, managing at least 6 issues of it. This organization was led by Kadri Zeka, in emigration at the time.
“LIRIA” wrote: “Even if all the demands and requests of the first protest were mainly social and economic in nature, it was still considered hostile and not only were none of the students demands considered, and no measures to better their conditions were taken, but also police violence was used against the protesters. This violence and the subsequent arrests added to the revolt and unhappiness of the students, which burst into a bigger and more determined protest on March 26”.[9]
The Albanian newspaper “Zëri i Popullit official gazette of the Albanian communist regime stated that the demand for a Republic of Kosova was fair.
"Kosova demands the Republic status within the Yugoslavian Federate. This status represents the aspiration of a great people, rightfully demanding “its sovereignty status” and not that of “ethnic minority”, unfairly tagged on it in Jaica".[10]
Students were not alone in these protests. A large number of workers, pupils and other citizens joined their ranks. In addition to the previous slogans, economic and social in nature, political demands and slogans were also issued. The March 26 protests were the most popular and very political in nature.
Meanwhile, “Rilindja” stated that all the protesting citizens were “but a small number of people” being influenced by small illegal and hostile groups who aimed to disturb public peace.
“Rilindja” published the speech of chairman of the Board of the Socialist and Autonomous of Kosova, citing: “We are aware that a number of students and pupils, and a minority of the workers and citizens have unthinkingly joined their protests organized by enemy entities, thus allowing these entities to manipulate them. We have to help them by showing them where we stand and mobilizing them in our battle with the enemy that has managed to manipulate them”. [11].
Journalists of the time state that the citizens were informed regarding the protests and that there were articles about those events. The information submitted for publication was very strictly controlled before.
Avni Spahiu clarifies the method of “reading between the lines”:“The article was published at the time and we had our own ‘reading between the lines’ method. For example the information stated what really happened. It was more important to publish that information, but the epithets must be taken out, you must understand that they were part of the system that controlled the information. It was more important that the public knew what was happening, how many students, how many professors were arrested. That means that the information given was controlled”[12].
The 1981 protest, especially those of April 1 and 2, spread out in all of Kosova. “Rilindja”, with its motto “Organ of the socialist coalition of the working people of Kosova”, ignored the protest in general. Published articles from “TANYUG” in the Thursday, April 2 1981 issue do not indicate any type of trouble whatsoever. The first page sports news of the official friendly trip of the Chair of the Yugoslavian Federate Board, headlined “Cvjetin Mijatovich visits Zambia and Tanzania”: “Beograd, April 1st, (TANJUG)- The board revised and approved all information on the official friendly visit that the Chair of Yugoslavian Federate Board will conduct in The Zambia Republic and United Republic of Tanzania”.[13]
Activist Hydajet Hyseni-Kaloshi addressed and oriented the protest at the center of Prishtina on April 1st 1981, emphasizing the historical role of the 1981 protests. “Social problems, colony-like status, protests against the worsening circumstances, and the violence used against the protesters, upholding slogans, especially the one Kosova-Republic, freeing of the prisoners, orderly protests, no damaging, no excess etc.”[14]
While all Prishtina was rocking with the powerful voices of the protesters demanding better conditions for the students and the workers, freedom of their imprisoned friends, new constitution, self-governing, Kosova- Republic and a whole lot of other slogans, the morning issue of “Rilindja” published articles on spring produce. After the big protest of April 26, “Rilindja” again published in its morning issue, articles describing the spring sowing campaign in Kosova, headlined: “Good weather intensified field labors”. The first page of the newspaper of April 2nd, 1981, dedicated half of its space to a normally working reaping machine, and the headlines: “Spring sowing continues; yesterday in the Lipjan fields.”
“Bio-industry – particular importance. Sowing in general is going well. Barley and Sugarbeet have been sowed successfully.”[15]
The protests of April 1, 2, 3 were particularly massive. The protests were bordering on rebellion. Belgrade sent heavy artillery and armed forces meant to subdue the masses. Many of them were concentrated at the people’s bank of Kosova, where the Government building is situated today. The protest participants reckon that Prishtina at that time was in the brink of war with thousands of protesters, barricades, burned cars, military objects and Yugoslavian airplanes “MIG” that flew over the city. The next morning “Rilindja” again ignored the protests, sporting titles such as “The good model of ‘KOSOVODRVO’, a woodworking factory.
“After this decision, the “Kosovodrvo” productions become the cheapest in the country. In order to better answer to the daily needs of its citizens, the company directors decided to lower their prices at an average of 20% yesterday”.[16]
There is a little article published in the second page of “Rilindja”, taken from “TANJUG”:“Today, the enemy elements tried to disrupt public order and peace again in Prishtina, protesting with Albanian Chauvinist and other hostile slogans. The social-political and public order branches took particular measures to stop such harmful purposes”.[17]

These were the only lines that reported on the 1981 protests, even after their large scale and format. Instead the newspaper was full of unnecessary news to the Kosovar citizens. The headlines were mainly chronicles of official ceremonies and visits of Yugoslavian dignitaries such as: “Cvijetin Mijatovich met with Rexhep Xhiha yesterday”, “Cvijetin Mijatovich sent a telegram to Edward Vijola” “Joseph Verhovec met with Herr Max” “The new book of Alexander Gerlikov was promoted” “Good possibilities of collaboration between the Socialist Republic Federate of Yugoslavia and Bulgaria”.

The western media continued to talk about the tragic event of the March and April protests of 1981. The Spanish journalist Torro Riesco wrote a long comment titled “The poor and discriminated Kosova”. (Excerpt)
“The Albanians of Kosova are second hand citizens in Yugoslavia. Kosova is the most backward region of Yugoslavia and of the whole Europe. There is a visible inequality between Kosova and the other republics”.[18]
Journalist Avni Spahiu explains that ‘supporting the protesters in those conditions would be a kind of a suicide’. So they had to make do with publishing what they could about the events and read the truth between the lines.
“These are the stories that came into the editing room and they were mostly published. When the journalists wrote, they did insert statements ‘he said that’, there was space to say things, but very carefully, because just like the protesters and all the people, the journalists were targets too. There were searches for the enemy even amongst the journalists, ‘who is the enemy’ we can find, who is the editor that allowed this and/or that”. [19]
The official politicos of Ygoslavia and Kosova declared the protester as ‘counter-revolutionaries’, stating that if Albanians were given Republic status, they would first endanger the territorial integrity of Yugoslavia and later on demand they unite with Albania.
During the spring of 1981 protests the political representatives of Kosova and Yugoslavia met intensively and tried to subjugate the demands of the Kosovar majority. As an extension of the Socialist Coalition, “Rilindja” was used to propaganda and label these protests as “hostile actions” and state that “the majority of people did not condone such protests”. The header of “Rilindja” was used to publish telegrams of enterprises and company directors who stated that they did not support the protests. The first part of the first page of “Rilindja” was taken by the declaration of the Chairman of the Board of the Socialist and Autonomous Region of Kosova, whereas the other part was full of declarations of the “Kosovar citizens and workers”.
“Workers and citizens from all over Kosova strongly denounce the protests”.[20]
The protests slogans stated that “Trepce is ours” and that “Trepce exports – Belgrade builds”. Trepce is a very old mining zone of lead, zinc and silver in the Mitrovica Commune. During the times of Yugoslavia, it was one of the leading engines fueling the Yugoslavian economy. “Rilindja” published a fake telegram sent to the Board of the Socialist and Autonomous Region of Kosova by the communists of the zinc, silver and lead foundry in response to the protesters slogans.
“We, the communists of the lead and zinc foundry ‘Trepce’, strongly denounce the enemy actions. We also take this chance to express our complete readiness and conviction that we will fight such actions with all the means at our disposal. We also use this occasion, to once again confirm that the ‘Trepce’ communists stand determined behind the politics of the Yugoslavian Communists Coalition”.[21]
The declaration of the “Trepça” foundry workers was not the only one published at “Rilindje”. This newspaper started publishing many articles and telegrams of all communes of Kosova where the largest workers and enterprises were situated. “We are ready for a determined war against the enemies that organized such protests” – read the headline of the next article in the main page of.
“The communists and other workers of the labor organization of “Metalik” Gjakova, at a meeting held yesterday, strongly denounced (the protesters) and distanced themselves from any kind of enemy activity. At the same time, they expressed their support of the politics of the Communist Coalition of Yugoslavia, and the measures undertaken by this organization against such enemy activity. The workers of this organization express their readiness to protect the fruit of the revolution and the socialist and self-governing development”.[22]
“We call them hostile actions” – read another headline of the “Rilindja” editorial, including almost all enterprises such as: the workers of the textile manufacturer “Integj” in Gjilan, then at the meeting of the workers of the oil factory “Millan Zeçar”, where, according to the newspaper, “these enterprises support the stance of Board of the Socialist and Autonomous Region of Kosova, that all the necessary measures against organized protests in some parts of Kosova must be undertaken”.
“TANJUG” news agency continued to issue declarates and minutes of joint meetings of the Central Committee and the Board of the Communist Coalition of Serbia. “Rilindja” quoted “TANYUG” under the headline “The Prishtina protests are against the political system of socialist self-governing”.

“The turbulences manifested through street protests, boycotting lessons in schools and universities and efforts to disrupt the economic flow, were denounced by the workers and all politically organized entities of Kosova”.[23]
The authoritative communist system of the 80ies did not leave any space for the journalists to at least describe what was really happening during those times. Avni Spahiu explains the journalistic system of the time.
“We tried to do something with the bylines, to faithfully render the events, otherwise everything else was absolutely controlled”.[24]
CONCLUSION
“RILINDJA” was founded during 1945, when there were still illegal groups and organizations that aimed to separate Kosova from Yugoslavia after World War II. This newspaper was conceived as the voice of the Communist Community. This newspaper has always fought any tendency for national freedom of the Albanians. This newspaper was firmly against the 1981 protests, and ignored them only publishing few short articles that portrayed these protests as some hostile citizens that were manipulated by “the reactionary forces of the world”.
RILINDJA reported that the platform of all enemies was the separation of Kosova and other Albanian territories and their joining Albania. As for the neighboring Albanian leaders, they were considered “to be of anti-Yugoslavian orientation since 1948”.
The journalists that used to work in this newspaper, privately supported the right of the Kosovar citizens to protest, but it was impossible to express this support openly in the pages of the newspaper the revolutionary and integrated Yugoslavia of Tito founded. The “Rilindja” journalists tried to express the events through their poems and the “between the lines” method.
“RILINDJA”, which is considered a symbol of the Kosvar media was closed during 1989, after the suppression of the Kosova Autonomy by Slobodan Miloscevic, with the excuse that it was supporting the irredentism and separatism of the “Albanian minority” of Kosova.
The protests that spread all over Kosova, did a lot of damage to the people. During 1981-1990, 183 civil citizens and 63 Albanian soldiers of the Yugoslavian army were killed, and 1346 soldiers and 10000 civilians were punished for political heresy. In 1990, over 7000 pupils were poisoned by war poison. These protests happened a year after the death of Marshal Tito. And, they are now considered to be one of the reasons of the fall of Yugoslavia, starting with Kosova and ending with an independent Kosova.
[1] Declaration of the “Rilindja” staff regarding the 1981 protests, April 7, 1981
[2] Interview – Qosja R. Epoka e Re newspaper pag 10 May 4 2006 edition

[3] New York Times newspaper April 27 1981 edition
[4] Telegrafska Agencija Nova Jugoslavija (TANJUG) was founded on November 5, 1941.

[5] Comrade Nimani Xh. Declaration in” Friday, April 3, 1981 edition of Rilindja newspaper

[6] “RILINDJA” April 3 1981- Declaration of the chairman of the board of KSA-së of Kosova

[7] Interview Avni Spahiu, May 7, 2008
[8] Interview with Osmani S. former editor of “Zëri i Rinës” magazine 1981
[9] “The war of our people is right and it will triumph”, Liria, Issue 3, May 1981
[10] “Zëri i popullit”, Albania, May 17 1981

[11] “Rilindja” “We will undertake all neccesary measures against enemy activity” – The declaration of Comrade Xhavid Nimani, Chairman of the Board of KSA of Kosova, April 3 1981

[12] Interview with Spahiu A. former journalist of “Rilindja”, May 25 2008

[13] “Rilindja”, meeting of RSFJ board, April 2 1981- Header
[14] Interview od Zëri newspaper with Hyseni-Kaloshi H, interview of “Zëri”on the 25th anniversary of the Kosovar spring, Zëri edition of March 16-18 2006, pg. 8

[15] “Rilindja”, Bio-Industry, April 2 1981
[16] “Rilindja”, 20 % Cheaper productions, April 2 1981
[17] “Rilindja”, Prishtinë, April 1 (TANYUG)

[18] “Avoi” Spanish newspaper
[19] Interview Avni Spahiu, former journalist of “Rilindje”, May 25 2008
[20] “Rilindja”, “Telegram sent to the to boards of Kosova”, April 3 1981

[21] “Rilindja” telegram from the “Trepce” employees, April 3 1981

[22] “Rilindja”, telegram from the “Metaliku” empoyees, Gjakova, April 3 1981

[23] “Tanjug” as quoted by “Rilindja” – Proclamation from the jonit meeting of the Board of KQ of LK of Serbia and the Board of RS of Serbia.
[24] Interview with Spahiu A former journalist at “Rilindja”, May 2007