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Kocani tragedy/ Thousands of protesters in Skopje demand justice for the 63 victims of the fire

2025-11-15 20:22:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Kocani tragedy/ Thousands of protesters in Skopje demand justice for the 63

Thousands of people in Skopje protested in the city center today, demanding justice for the March 16 tragedy in the town of Kocani, where a fire in a nightclub killed 63 people, mostly young people, and injured around 200 others.

The march started from Skopje's main square, passed in front of the Parliament of North Macedonia and ended at the Courthouse. Relatives of the victims led the march, holding a large banner with the faces of the 63 people who lost their lives. The banner read: "63 shadows will follow you - every look demands justice."

"Our children died on March 16. We will never see 63 children again. We do not ask for mercy, but for truth and justice. The pain is ours, but the fight is for everyone. We need your support ," said the families of the victims in their call to citizens to participate in today's march for justice and accountability.

The protest comes ahead of the start of the trial for the incident, which is scheduled to take place on November 19 in the courtroom of Idrizovo Prison in Skopje. A total of 37 people are reportedly on trial.

Among them are the club's owner and managers, three former mayors of Kocani, two former ministers of economy of North Macedonia, five senior state officials and others who, according to the indictment, contributed to the tragedy with their actions or inactions.

The tragic incident occurred when a fire broke out in the early hours of March 16, during a concert by a music group. It was fireworks used as effects inside the club that caused an immediate fire. The flames spread rapidly in a space that, as it turned out, did not meet basic fire safety regulations. In addition, the nightclub was operating with a forged license, which further escalated public anger.

Public opinion in the country seems deeply disappointed, believing that the tragedy in Kocani, like other serious incidents in recent years, is the result of widespread corruption and systematic dysfunction of institutions. /CNA