The injuries occurred after a group of mostly young people broke off from the main protest, throwing stones, metal bars, eggs and Molotov cocktails at the parliament building in Skopje late Tuesday.
A man reacts as police officers form a cordon during a protest at the parliament building in Skopje, North Macedonia, late Tuesday, July 5, 2022. Violent protests erupted in North Macedonia’s capital, Skopje, where demonstrators tried to storm government buildings, after French President Emmanuel Macron last week announced the proposal, which many in the small Balkan country find controversial. (AP Photo/Boris Grdanoski)
Thousands of people have protested nightly since the weekend over a French proposal for a compromise aimed at lifting objections by neighboring Bulgaria to North Macedonia joining the European Union.
A couple under an umbrella watch as people throw stones at the police and at the parliament building in Skopje, North Macedonia, during a protest late Tuesday, July 5, 2022. Violent protests erupted in North Macedonia’s capital, Skopje, where demonstrators tried to storm government buildings, after French President Emmanuel Macron last week announced the proposal, which many in the small Balkan country find controversial. (AP Photo/Boris Grdanoski)
Police said 11 protesters were detained. Prime Minister Dimitar Kovacevski condemned the attacks on the police, saying violence cannot be justified.
Interior Minister Oliver Spasovski visited the injured police officers in a hospital Wednesday. He said an investigation into the instigators of the violence was underway, and warned they would face the “strictest possible punishments.”
People break the fence in front of the parliament building in Skopje, North Macedonia, late Tuesday, July 5, 2022. Violent protests erupted in North Macedonia’s capital, Skopje, where demonstrators tried to storm government buildings, after French President Emmanuel Macron last week announced the proposal, which many in the small Balkan country find controversial. (AP Photo/Boris Grdanoski)
“We all know very well who is behind the protests and who called for them,” Spasovski said.
The minister said police had “operational information” that attacks with Molotov cocktails on state buildings were also being planned for another protest scheduled for Wednesday night, and urged protesters to refrain from violence.
Riot police guard the entrance of the parliament building in Skopje, North Macedonia, during a protest late Tuesday, July 5, 2022. Violent protests erupted in North Macedonia’s capital, Skopje, where demonstrators tried to storm government buildings, after French President Emmanuel Macron last week announced the proposal, which many in the small Balkan country find controversial. (AP Photo/Boris Grdanoski)
Bulgaria, which as an EU member has veto powers over new members, wants North Macedonia to formally recognize its language has Bulgarian roots, to recognize a Bulgarian minority in the country and to quash “hate speech” against Bulgaria. Many in North Macedonia say acquiescing would undermine their national identity.
Police confront protesters at the parliament building in Skopje, North Macedonia, late Tuesday, July 5, 2022. Violent protests erupted in North Macedonia’s capital, Skopje, where demonstrators tried to storm government buildings, after French President Emmanuel Macron last week announced the proposal, which many in the small Balkan country find controversial. (AP Photo/Boris Grdanoski)
North Macedonia’s president, Stevo Pendarovski, and the government back the proposed French deal, which calls for the country to acknowledge in its constitution the existence of an ethnic Bulgarian minority. It would also provide for regular reviews on how the bilateral dispute is being addressed, which could potentially hamper North Macedonia’s future course toward EU membership.
A man with a plastic bag on his head looks at police cordon during a protest at the parliament building in Skopje, North Macedonia, late Tuesday, July 5, 2022. Violent protests erupted in North Macedonia’s capital, Skopje, where demonstrators tried to storm government buildings, after French President Emmanuel Macron last week announced the proposal, which many in the small Balkan country find controversial. (AP Photo/Boris Grdanoski)
Bulgaria has already formally accepted the French proposal, which now requires the backing of North Macedonia’s parliament. Lawmakers are set to convene on Thursday to set up a committee that will look into the issue. No plenary session has yet been scheduled.
People light flares and throw eggs and stones on the foreign ministry building during a protest in Skopje, North Macedonia, late Tuesday, July 5, 2022. Violent protests erupted in North Macedonia’s capital, Skopje, where demonstrators tried to storm government buildings, after French President Emmanuel Macron last week announced the proposal, which many in the small Balkan country find controversial. (AP Photo/Boris Grdanoski)
The center-right main opposition party VMRO-DPMNE, many international law experts and civic organizations claim that the French proposal favors Bulgarian demands which dispute Macedonian views of regional history, language, identity and heritage.
People throw stones at the parliament building in Skopje, North Macedonia, during a protest late Tuesday, July 5, 2022. Violent protests erupted in North Macedonia’s capital, Skopje, where demonstrators tried to storm government buildings, after French President Emmanuel Macron last week announced the proposal, which many in the small Balkan country find controversial. (AP Photo/Boris Grdanoski)
North Macedonia has been a candidate for EU membership for 17 years. The country received a green light in 2020 to begin accession talks, but no date for the start of the negotiations has been set.
