Thousands of Skopje citizens came to the city center today, demanding justice for the March 16 tragedy in Kočan, where a fire in a night club claimed the lives of 63 people, mostly young people, while around 200 others were injured.
The fire broke out in the early hours of the morning, during a music concert, when fireworks used as stage effects ignited flames inside the bar.
They spread rapidly in a space that did not meet basic fire safety standards.
Investigations revealed that the nightclub was operating under a forged license, a fact that added to public outrage.
Today’s march started from the central square of Skopje, passed in front of the Parliament and ended at the Court.
At the head of the protest were the family members of the victims, who carried a banner with the faces of the 63 deceased.
On it was written, “63 shadows will follow you – every look demands justice.”
“Our children died on March 16. Sixty-three lives we will never see again. We do not ask for mercy, but truth and justice. The pain is ours, but the battle is for everyone. We need your support,” the victims’ families said in their appeal to the citizens.
The protest took place a few days before the start of the trial for the tragic fire, which is scheduled for November 19 in the courtroom of Idrizova prison in Skopje.
37 people will sit in the dock, among them the owner and managers of the club, three former mayors of Kočani, two former ministers of the economy of North Macedonia, five senior state officials and other individuals who, according to the indictment, have contributed to the tragedy through their actions or inactions.
The event has caused a great social shock in North Macedonia. The families of the victims, friends and residents of Koçan have often organized protests, demanding justice and clear answers to the causes of the accident.
Public opinion is disappointed, linking the tragedy of Koçan – like other serious cases in recent years – to widespread corruption and the systematic dysfunction of institutions.
