A provocative slogan has appeared on a pedestrian bridge between the University and University Hospital in Regensburg, drawing the attention of the police.
The graffiti on the bridge reads “Shqiperi etnike,” accompanied by an Albanian eagle and the initials “UCK.” Similar inscriptions are found on the other side of the bridge, all clearly visible from the highway. The “UCK” refers to the Kosovo Liberation Army, a paramilitary ultra-nationalist organization that fought in the 1990s for the unification of Balkan territories predominantly inhabited by ethnic Albanians. UCK members have been accused of committing horrific crimes, and the organization disbanded in 1999. The term “Shqiperi etnike” points to Albanian nationalists and describes the concept of Greater Albania, encompassing all areas with a majority ethnic Albanian population.
The graffiti has been reported to the police, and the traffic police are investigating the vandalism as property damage, according to a spokesperson. Due to the potentially political motivation behind the vandalism, state security has also been notified.