On October 1, 2025, Reporting House commemorated the 28th anniversary of the Student Protests of October 1, 1997 – one of the most significant acts of civic resistance in Kosovo’s recent history.
In an open panel discussion, attendees heard firsthand accounts from key organizers and participants of the protests – Bujar Dugolli, Driton Lajçi, Mihane Salihu-Bala, and Remzie Shahini-Hoxha – who shared their experiences with the planning, challenges, and determination that defined that generation of students.
The 1997 protest was a response to years of systemic oppression and the exclusion of Albanians from public education, which forced thousands of young people to study in makeshift private spaces. The protest marked a turning point — from passive resistance to open, peaceful defiance — as students took to the streets, demanding access to education in their own language and the return of occupied university facilities.
The event at Reporting House served as a powerful reminder of the transformative potential of student movements and the importance of preserving collective memory.