* All update times are Central European timezone

17:50 Representatives of Student plenum have expressed that students support demonstrations.

CFNnh4dVIAIRhJL

Macedonian, Albanian, Turkish and Serbian flag on the streets

17:35 Besides Skoplje, Macedonians have gathered in other cities: Ohrid, Prilep, Kumanovo, Strumica and Štip. In front of the Macedonian embassy in Belgrade, Serbia, some citizens have gathered to show their support to the protests in Skoplje.

Screenshot_7

17:20 More than 50 000 people are on the streets. Protests in Skoplje today are probably the largest in the region of former Yugoslavia since overthrow of Slobodan Milošević in September 2000.

10628562_948037858560900_4570973584674958066_n

11259536_10153873474169466_8348562703789414686_n

16:09 Citizens with signs “Now you’re at your lowest Nikola”, “Nikola, get down, I am not your mother” and “I am going trough hell Niki”.

Screenshot_4

15:39 Reports say that a massive truck with a trailer has blocked traffic on one road to Skoplje which many citizens are using to come and express their dissatisfaction. It is unknown why the truck is blocking the traffic, but it is preventing many to come to the protests.

Screenshot_2

Parked buses in Skoplje, used to bring citizens from other parts of the country, are forming a 2 kilometers long line.

15:16 Around 40 000 citizens are gathered now in front of the government building in Skoplje, Balkaninsight reports. Their number it increasing as more citizens from all over the country are coming to the protests. They are chanting “resignation”.

Earlier, opposition leader Zoran Zaev has said that around 4 600 activists will use their phones to film the protests so no violence would erupt.

Opposition party Social Democratic Union of Macedonia is transmitting live stream on their youtube channel.

LIVE Video feed while available

They are carrying flags of Macedonia and Albania, as well as flags of other minorities that live in Macedonia such as Turkey, showing the unity of the citizens of all ethnic groups against government corruption.

Screenshot_1

Protesters with Albanian and Macedonian flag

15:00 Up to the 100 000 citizens are expected to protest today, which is around five percent of the country population. Before the protests Gruevski said that he will not resign as that would be “a cowardly act”. Opposition has declared that they will not leave the streets.

Macedonia has been striving to join the European union, but the progress has been very slow, mainly because the dispute over the name of the country with Greece. Most countries refer to Macedonia as to “Republic of Macedonia”, but Greece and some other countries use the name “Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia”.

14:30 Republic of Macedonia is bracing for massive anti-government protests with dozens of thousands expected in capil Skoplje. Demonstrators came from all parts of the country and the protests are supported by 14 different political parties. National anthem has marked the beginning of the protests.

 

Opposition leader Zoran Zaev has released a new wire taped material two days ago accusing the prime minister Nikola Gruevski that he orchestrated the recent clashes in Kumanovo. In a taped phone conversation prime minister chief of cabinet said to the, now resigned police minister Jankulovski, “should we start war” and “if we would have war, we would run over them in one hour”.

Protesters are carrying sings “goodbye Nikola”, referring to the Prime minister Nikola Gruevski whose resignation they demand.

Beside his resignation, opposition is asking for a formation of technical government that call for the elections in a period of one year.

Opposition is demanding that