Citizens March for Peace in Skopje

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Close to 2000 mostly young citizens of Skopje, of all ethnic and religious backgrounds, gathered for last Saturday, March 17, 2012, for the March for Peace, Tolerance and Mutual Respect, organized by the "Together for Peace" Initiative.

Citizens marched from the City park to Macedonia square in Skopje (Photo FOSM)

The March, which started with a gathering and short programme at the “Shell” Scene at the City Park in Skopje, was organized in reaction to the recent series of ethnically motivated violent incidents, which culminated the previous weekend in a series of violent fights in Skopje, Tetovo and Prilep.

Before the march, a band of popular musicians from all ethnic communities played three songs dedicated to the peace, and then prominent public personalities read messages for peace in Macedonian, Albanian, Romani, Vlach, Serbian and Turkish languages.

After the performances, the march started from the Park, passed by the Government Building, went across the "Goce Delčev" Bridge to the Museum of the Holocaust. It then proceeded across the Stone Bridge to the “Macedonia” Square, and then returned to the City Park along the Vardar River promenade.

It should be noted that, apart from the general call for peace, the march and the gathering didn't come forward with specific demands to the political and government institutions.