site.btaKosovo to Celebrate Birth Anniversary of Albanians' National Hero Skanderbeg

The birth anniversary of Skanderbeg, the national hero of the Albanians, will be marked in the Kosovo capital Pristina on May 6 with a celebration in Skanderbeg Square and Mother Teresa Square, KosovaPress reported on Sunday. Members of the Kosovo Security Force and the Kosovo Police will join a march in the town, the news agency said in English on its website.

The celebration is being organized by the non-governmental organization Shqiptaria together with other organizations and activists. Thousands of participants are expected from Albania, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Greece and Italy.

According to Basri Beka of Shqiptaria, the celebration will be complemented by scientific activities and an artistic and cultural programme.

Qendrim Kryeziu, the chief organizer of the march for Skanderbeg's birthday, said it is expected to be an event with massive participation from all the regions where Albanians are located. According to him, the squares will be filled with more than 100,000 people.

Discussing whether politicians will join the celebration, Raif Gashi of the Borders of Arber association stated that politicians in general are not very interested in the nation, because their attention goes more to votes, KosovaPress reported.

Gjergj Kastrioti (1405-1468), commonly known as Skanderbeg, effectively repulsed 13 Ottoman invasions in the period 1444–1466, Britannica.com says. His successful resistance to the armies of Murad II in 1450 made him a hero throughout the Western world. Until the end of his life, he continued to resist successfully all Ottoman invasions.