Thousands of Kosovo citizens gathered on Statehood Day to protest the war crimes trial under way at The Hague, rallying under the slogan "Not in Our Name."

The demonstration, reported by Balkan Insight, turned Kosovo's national holiday into a platform for public opposition to the prosecution of former Kosovo Liberation Army figures before the Hague-based court. Protesters framed the proceedings as an injustice carried out in the name of a people who reject them.

The choice of date carries political weight. Statehood Day marks Kosovo's declaration of independence, and organisers used the occasion to contrast the celebration of statehood with what many participants view as a tribunal that tarnishes the legacy of the independence struggle. The crowd's message was blunt: the trial does not represent them.

The Hague court was established to try grave crimes committed during the Kosovo conflict. Its docket has focused on former KLA leadership figures, and the proceedings have drawn sustained criticism inside Kosovo, where many citizens regard the guerrilla movement as a liberation force rather than a criminal enterprise.

For practitioners and observers of international criminal law, the protest underscores a persistent legitimacy problem. The tribunal may command legal jurisdiction, but demonstrations of this scale on a day of national significance signal that significant portions of the Kosovar public contest its moral authority. That tension between formal jurisdiction and local legitimacy is a recurring feature of hybrid and specialised international tribunals, and it can complicate cooperation, witness engagement and long-term perceptions of the court's work.

The slogan "Not in Our Name" positions the protest squarely against the court's framing of the case. Participants rejected the notion that the accused acted on behalf of the Kosovo Albanian people, drawing a line between the KLA's campaign and the charges prosecuted in The Hague.

No arrests or disturbances were reported in connection with the demonstration.