Gunshots and fireworks echoed in the Macedonian capital, Skopje, overnight, while Macedonian flags were torn and burned. Eight individuals were arrested while in the town of Kumanovo, six vehicles were damaged by marauding youths.
Minister of Interior Panche Toshkovski reported that eight individuals were arrested overnight, four of whom were charged with inciting religious and national hatred.
“Four of them were arrested for misdemeanours, specifically for participating in a fight, while the other four were detained on reasonable suspicion of committing a criminal offence under Article 319 of the Criminal Code, which pertains to inciting national, racial, and religious hatred, discord, and intolerance. This offence carries a minimum sentence of one year in prison. Appropriate criminal charges will be filed against them,” said Toškovski.
“The police are ready and professional, prepared to respond to all challenges presented to them.” Toškovski added.
The incidents, which occurred during celebrations of the Albanian Flag Day, have inflamed ethnic tensions in Macedonia. Roads in Skopje were blocked by Albanians firing gunshots in celebration, bringing parts of the capital to a standstill. Political parties have issued strong condemnations of the events.
VMRO-DPMNE, the ruling party, expressed outrage over the desecration of Macedonian state flags and accused certain groups of politicising ethnic divisions.
“We strongly react to and condemn the desecration of the Macedonian flag that occurred yesterday. At the same time, we respond to the offensive chants and rampages of irresponsible groups, which we believe have a political background and aim to impose ethnic issues and divisions into public discourse in the absence of a genuine political agenda,” stated VMRO-DPMNE. The party called for the law to be applied equally to all, insisting that justice must prevail.
Немам зборови… pic.twitter.com/A3bS1WU8KY
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Meanwhile, the opposition party SDSM criticised the Ministry of Interior, led by Minister Panche Toshkovski, for its failure to prevent the unrest. “The Ministry of Interior has evidently completely failed in preventing and controlling the situation. Citizens have the right to ask – why was the police not present, and why was there no swift and decisive intervention to prevent these incidents?” stated the SDSM in a press release.
The mayor of Kumanovo, Maksim Dimitrievski, also condemned the events and called for accountability.
“I publicly condemn such events and call on the prosecution institutions to identify and bring these individuals and groups to justice, ensuring they are sanctioned according to the law. To trample on, tear, and destroy the flag of a country that has nurtured, educated, funded, and continues to invest in you is a crime against that very country, and one must be held accountable,” Dimitrievski stated.
The Democratic Union for Integration (DUI), a major ethnic Albanian party, also issued a statement condemning the violence while shifting the blame on Police for inciting it.
“At the same time, we condemn the individual act of burning the national flag as a reaction to the inappropriate intervention by the police. Such actions do not reflect the values of the Albanians nor their aspirations for stable coexistence and mutual respect,” stated DUI.
They also criticised the police for its heavy-handed approach, saying, “This intervention, instead of preserving public order, caused unnecessary tensions and created a climate of confrontation, violating citizens’ right to freely commemorate this significant festive tradition.”
