Rain in Skopje didn’t stop several thousands students to gather on the plateau of the humanities campus of the state University Sts Cyril and Methodius (UKIM) in Skopje on Monday March 17, to pay respect to the victims of the tragedy in Kočani, where 59 mainly young persons lost their lives and over 150 were injured in a nightclub fire over the weekend. Over 150 persons also suffered severe injuries, and 45 remain in critical condition.
Besides the students, the UKIM Rector, Biljana Angelova, the members of the Rector’s Board and the Minister of Education, Vesna Janevska.
Cries for help interrupted the speech of the Rector Biljana Angelova, as gathered students started to shout “Help!” trying to seek aid for a girl who fainted. The onlookers demanded for a Coke to help her, while the place where she fainted was covered by umbrellas on all sides.
After a several minutes break, the Rector finished her speech and the Minister of Education and Science Vesna Janevska took the floor. During her speech cries for help could also be heard, while the minister briefly continued, at which point the participants booed her.
Right then the President of the University Student Assembly of Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje (USC-UKIM), Aleksandar Nikolovski took the microphone and called upon the students to calm down, because according to him, the gathering was about paying respect to the victims and not a protest. He asked for silence.
„The USC-UKIM will continue to organize these gatherings during the whole week. I urge you to come to the gatherings and if we need to help to help, so we can all get organized,” Nikolovski said.
Estimates on the number of students attending the event on the campus ranges between three and five thousand. A book of condolences was placed in front of the Faculty of Law, allowing students to send messages of compassion and grief. Hundreds of students continued to gather within the halls of the university buildings surrounding the main plateau.
On the preceeding evening, student organizations issued call for all students to hold joint lesson at the UKIM plateau. They announced that every day from Monday to Friday, March 21, they will organize such gatherings at different locations.
