WOMEN CHILDREN AND ELDERLY LEAVE HOMES IN KOSOVO

( Editorial: --> 2707 ) PRISTINA, May 9 (Hina) - The Kosovo Information Centre said Saturday children, women and the elderly were leaving their villages in Kosovo. Serbian forces are continuing their attack on the villages of Lapushnik, Negrovci and Ariati near the Pristina - Pec highway which has been blocked for several hours by the Serbian police. In Pristina and several other towns in Kosovo, Albanians held half- hour mass protests, calling for a fight for freedom and Kosovo's independence. Protesters in Pristina carried Albanian and American flags, as well as 500 metre banners in Albanian and English . The banners said "Stop the war in Kosovo and the Balkans", "Stop Genocide of Albanian Population", "Prevent Another Holocaust which Serbia is Planning for Europe" and "We also Want to Live in Freedom and Peace and all European People". The Albanians also voiced requests that the Contact Group protect two million Albanians and recognise their right for independence, because they "can no longer live under Serbian slavery". While the protests in Pristina passed peacefully, Serbian police dispersed protesters in Lipljani and Kosovska Vitina, arresting several people. (hina) lm 091840 MET may 98