A least 22 people, including 13 policemen have been injured in two
days of clashes between ethnic groups and police in the Republic of
Macedonia's capital, Skopje.
Police have used tear gas and stun grenades to quell the crowd
as they demolished a bus station in front of the government
building, burned Macedonian flag and threw stones at police lines.
Cars and shops have also been vandalized.
Police say 18 people were arrested so far, five of whom are
minors.
The demonstrations which have begun on March 1 were started by
ethnic Macedonians furious at the appointment of ethnic Albanian
Talat Xhaferi's as defense minister.
The next day, Saturday, ethnic Albanians staged their own protest
in the capital. Both protests turned violent, with Macedonians and
Albanians clashing with police.
Ethnic tension has been simmering in Macedonia since the end of the 8-month-long armed rebellion. The conflict left 80 people dead and ended with the intervention of NATO troops.
Ethnic Albanians, who are mostly Muslim, make up nearly a third of Macedonia's population of 2.1 million people in a country that is majority Orthodox Christian.
0 comMENTS:
Post a comment