23 Feb 2021 | 09:16 PM UTC
North Macedonia: Activists to stage protest march from Park Chair to Basic Court in Skopje Feb. 26
Activists to march in central Skopje, North Macedonia, Feb. 26. Heightened security, localized transport disruptions possible.
Event
Activists plan to demonstrate in central Skopje on Feb. 26. Participants will gather at Park Chair around 1330 before marching to the Basic Courthouse. The purpose of the action is to condemn the prison sentences handed to several suspects convicted of killing five people near the North Macedonian capital in 2012. Activists claim that the sentence was politically motivated.
Authorities will likely deploy additional police resources along the march route and in front of the Basic Court and nearby government buildings as a precaution. Crowds and associated security measures will likely prompt localized transport disruptions in the protest area. Clashes are likely between demonstrators and security personnel; clashes were reported at a related demonstration Jan. 29.
Advice
Avoid the protest as a standard security precaution. Allow additional time for travel in the vicinity of the Basic Court during the afternoon of Feb. 26. Heed the instructions of local authorities. Leave the area at the first sign of a confrontation; do not stop to take photographs.
