Macedonian police clash with ethnic Albanian protesters
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 4 July 2014 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Macedonian police clash with ethnic Albanian protesters, 4 July 2014, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/53ce307ca.html [accessed 4 November 2019] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
July 04, 2014
By RFE/RL
Police in Macedonia have clashed with protesters demonstrating against the jailing of six ethnic Albanians for murder and terrorism.
A RFE/RL correspondent who was at the scene said several thousand demonstrators pelted police with rocks in the capital Skopje on July 4.
Police responded by firing teargas, stun grenades, and water cannon. Several policemen and protesters were wounded.
The ethnic Albanian protesters were angry at the life sentences handed down for the murder of five Macedonians during the Orthodox Easter in 2012. The protesters called the convictions politically motivated.
The defendants were described by authorities as Islamists and were charged with terrorism and accused of trying to provoke ethnic tensions.
Ethnic Albanians, most of them Muslims, make up around a quarter of Macedonia's two million population, and say they are discriminated against.
With reporting from Reuters
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
