Macedonia: Students protest over new name deal with Greece

A group of Macedonian students. Thousands of people have protested outside Macedonia`s parliament building in Skopje against a deal with Greece aimed at ending a decades-long dispute over Macedonia`s name. The protest was organised by students. Photo: Collected
A group of Macedonian students. Thousands of people have protested outside Macedonia`s parliament building in Skopje against a deal with Greece aimed at ending a decades-long dispute over Macedonia`s name. The protest was organised by students. Photo: Collected

Thousands of people have protested outside Macedonia's parliament building in Skopje against a deal with Greece aimed at ending a decades-long dispute over Macedonia's name.

The protest, organized by the student organization "Youth for Macedonia" late Saturday, had as its motto: "Never 'North,' always Macedonia."

Protesters demanded the resignation of the leftist government and chanted "Traitors!" at politicians who voted earlier this week to rename Macedonia "North Macedonia." The protest ended peacefully.

The main opposition conservative VMRO-DPMNE party boycotted the vote.

The deal, which requires several more steps in the coming months before it is implemented, has angered opposition parties and hardliners in both Greece and Macedonia, who claim their governments conceded too much to other side.