FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
After two hours, the protest of Albanian students in Skopje has ended, where thousands of young people and citizens marched in the center of the Macedonian capital to demand the right to conduct the bar exam in the Albanian language.
During the protest, three students were also reported to have been arrested, news confirmed by the protest organizer, Mevlan Ademi. So far, Macedonian authorities have not provided official details on the reasons for their detention.
The march passed through the center of Skopje, while the “Stone Bridge” was filled with red and black flags and banners with messages in defense of the Albanian language. Protesters chanted “The Albanian language is not negotiable,” while demanding respect for their constitutional rights.
Holding banners, the students demanded the resignation of Justice Minister Igor Fillkov, who has opposed the holding of the bar exam in Albanian. The protest also included calls against Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski.
Among the protesters, a banner of a little boy with the inscription "Don't translate my future!" also attracted attention, which was widely shared on social media and became a symbol of the protest.
The march was attended by Albanian students and citizens from Tetovo, Struga, Kosovo and other Albanian-speaking areas. During the day, there were reports that buses carrying students from Kosovo and Albania were diverted from the highway after police checks, which the organizers considered an attempt to prevent participation in the protest.
This was the second major protest organized by Albanian students after the rejection of their demands by the Ministry of Justice.
The students argue that conducting the bar exam in Albanian is a right that stems from the Constitution and the Law on the Use of Languages in North Macedonia.
What do students want?
The students argue that conducting the jurisprudence exam in Albanian is a right that stems from the Constitution and the Law on the Use of Languages.
According to media in North Macedonia, the law on the bar exam does not contain any provision that limits the testing to being conducted only in the Macedonian language.
Meanwhile, Article 2 and Article 5 of the Law on the Use of Languages stipulate that state institutions must enable the use of the Albanian language in official and administrative procedures.
A draft proposal for holding the exam in Albanian was prepared by the Ministry of Justice in 2024, but after political changes it was removed from the parliamentary agenda and never returned to discussion.
Salehu e Ramuti nuk u deklaruan sot per gjuhen shqipe.!?