The protest by students demanding to be able to take the Bar Exam in their mother tongue, Albanian, was held in Skopje on Monday. Protesters were carrying the flags of Albania and the U.S., but North Macedonia’s flag was nowhere to be seen, several media reported in their coverage.
Criticism was leveled at political parties, while some protesters also said the Ohrid Framework Agreement couldn’t be renegotiated and the Languages Law was clear. Students also called for Filkov to resign as Justice Minister. There was a heavy police presence, while traffic in the central city area was temporarily diverted.
There were also political reactions. DUI Spokesperson Arta Bilalli-Zendeli ironically said guarantees over rights applied only during election campaigns. VLEN co-leader and Chair Mayor Mexhiti said the language policy in the country was unfortunately regulated by a so-called half-law.
However, the Justice Ministry said that though it respected the right to protest as a fundamental democratic one, the protest had shown a manipulation attempt by political structures.