Protesters in Skopje demanded systemic changes and justice after the tragic fire in Kocani on March 16, which killed 59 people and injured about 200 others, MIA reported, BTA reports.
The protest in the capital of the Republic of North Macedonia, which took place last night, was organized by the civil movement “Who is next?“. The participants in the march chanted slogans such as “Justice“, “Murderers“, “We are not afraid“, “Responsibility“, “There is no justice, there is no peace“, “We are the system“, “Resignation of the entire government“ and others. They carried banners with inscriptions such as “The state is killing its children“, “Purchased peace and silence are more terrible than war“ and “How many bribes are needed to bring back the victims“.
The protest march started from “Macedonia“ Square, where the participants lit candles, laid flowers and observed a three-minute silence in memory of those who died in the fire in Kochani. The protesters then passed through the parliament and headed to the government building, where they were booed. The march stopped in front of the City Hospital, where the protesters paid tribute to the medical workers with applause and chants of "You are heroes" and observed a 16-minute silence in memory of the victims of the fire.
“We have gathered here because of the pain, injustice and tragedies that could have been prevented if the institutions had done their job, if the guilty were held accountable and if corruption was not accepted as normal”, Blendi Hodai, who participated in the protest, told MIA.
He stressed that citizens demand zero tolerance for corruption, zero silence for injustice and when institutions fail. Hodai added that the protest was a clear signal: “We will not forget, we will not be silent and we will not be afraid“.
Milena Janevska of the civil movement “Who is next?“ said the protest was not tied to any political party. “We are active citizens, we want to stay here, to live in Macedonia, but to be safe. We want responsibility, security and transparency, and that is why we are protesting,“ she said.
The protests reflect growing frustration with the government and the way it is handling the accident, the Associated Press reported. The opposition Social Democrats called for the resignation of Interior Minister Pance Toshkovski.
Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski expressed understanding for the anger of citizens, but condemned the “political rodents and vultures” who do not want a strong VMRO-DPMNE government.
The investigation into corruption surrounding the fire has led to 13 arrests, including a former economy minister and seven senior police officers. Authorities are investigating allegations of bribery and illegal operating permits for the club where the fire broke out.
Among the injured, 54 are receiving treatment in North Macedonia, and 116 abroad, including in Bulgaria. Protests are taking place not only in the country, but also in neighboring Greece, where dozens of citizens of North Macedonia held a silent vigil in the central square of Thessaloniki.
The fire that broke out during a concert by the band DNA at the “Pulse“ disco in Kochani was caused by sparks from pyrotechnics used for lighting effects. Initial investigation data indicate that the disco's license was obtained illegally, and the facility had only one emergency exit, which was locked during the concert.