Serbs held a protest Tuesday in Gracanica over the murder of Kosovo Serb Aleksandar Putnik in the village of Zrze, Orahovac municipality.

Several hundred Serbs protested peacefully, carrying signs pointing to the murder which occurred two nights ago. Among the messages written in English were "They are killing Serbs in Kosovo again," "Who is the witness? There is one witness - the whole world."

The procession was headed by director of the Gracanica health care center Rada Trajkovic, who told Tanjug the key message of the protest is that Serbs are very concerned about the string of Serb killings in Kosovo.

She said the people who gathered today also wanted to send a message they want justice, not revenge. The protesters directed their message primarily at Kosovo's President Atifete Jahjaga, who said in a recent lecture at Columbia University that not a single Serb had been killed in Kosovo in the past seven years.

Trajkovic said statements such as these could bring "new misfortunes" in the region. She added that the Serbs in Gracanica support their compatriots in northern Kosovo, and want to see the problems solved, which means that Serbs would stay in the area where they have been living for centuries.

The Kosovo police did not authorize the gathering, saying it was not reported in time. On the night between Saturday and Sunday, Aleksandar Zubin was shot and killed in the village of Zrze, while his son Dobrica was wounded and is currently hospitalized in northern Kosovska Mitrovica.