Albanian students in North Macedonia protested today in Skopje. They demanded the right to take the bar exam in the Albanian language.

“We are holding a peaceful protest. However, people provoked us along the way. I just received news that police arrested three students. Today, I did not come to speak to them. Instead, I came to speak to you,” protest organizer Mevlan Ademi said.

“How long must we wait for an Albanian to speak Albanian in his own city? Furthermore, how long must we wait to become equal citizens in this country? We are native to this land,” he added.

Meanwhile, another organizer, Jon Selimi, told protesters that Albanian youth would not give up their demands for equal rights and the use of the Albanian language.

“Today, we did not gather here to complain. Instead, we came to remind everyone that people do not receive rights as gifts. They earn them through struggle. Therefore, we stand before you with a clear message. We returned here to say that we are ready to defend our rights,” Selimi declared.

“Generations change, but ideals remain. Moreover, if we must prove that our will is unshakable, we will not stop. Today, all of Skopje shook. From now on, silence is no longer an option,” he stressed.

In addition, citizens from different cities across North Macedonia supported the protest. Students from Kosovo and Albania also joined the march.

“We came from Kosovo. Likewise, Kosovo’s students support the protest in North Macedonia. We are here in solidarity with the students,” one student from Kosovo said.

At the same time, university professors attended the protest. Representatives of the Albanian opposition also joined the gathering.

The march started at the Stone Bridge and later ended in front of North Macedonia’s Ministry of Justice. There, protesters once again addressed their demands to Justice Minister Goran Fillkov and called for the exam to be held in Albanian.

Finally, this marked the second protest after Albanian students first expressed their anger during demonstrations in May.

/a.c/