MTV-Vestite od 10.07.1997 -
Intervencijata na makedonskata
policija vo Gostivar i Tetovo
poradi nelegalnoto veenje na albanskoto i turskoto zname pred opstinite
Simnuvanjeto na
albanskite i turskite znaminja pred sovetite na opstinite
Vinovni i organizatori na oviot bunt (kako se deklirirase kako 'demonstracija') se gradonacalnikot na opstina
Tetovo, Alajdin Demiri i pretsedavacot na Sovetot, Vebi
Bedzeti i gradonacalnikot na opstina Gostivar, Rufi Osmani i Refik Dauti
Demiri i Bedzeti vo prvostepenata sudska postapka
bile osudeni na po dve i pol godini zatvor poradi
nepoccituvanje na sudska odluka, isto i Osmani - sedum godini i Dauti - dve godini, pri poznatite nastani so
albanskite znaminja vo Gostivar i Tetovo.
News translated into English (shortened):
One person is dead and seventy, among whom most are policemen,
are heavily or lightly injured, following Wednesday afternoon's
clashes between police and around 7,000 demonstrators of Albanian
nationality in Gostivar. The police have arrested at least 30
demonstrators suspected of firing at the police, who removed the
Albanian and Turkish flag hoisted in front of the municipal
building, in the early morning hours. In Tetovo, the Albanian
flags were removed without any greater incidents and unrest.
The clashes began at around 1530 PM, following warnings shots
by the police forces fired into the air, after which the
demonstrators responded with direct gunfire toward the police
from various types of firearms.
The unrest began around 0800 AM when a larger group of
citizens, revolted by the removal of the Albanian flag and armed
with metal clubs, stones, and Molotov cocktails, protested
through the streets, flying the Albanian flag.
The demonstrators threw stones and Molotov cocktails at the
police, while in the meantime, the Gostivar mayor and council
chairman were brought in for questioning by the police.
"This is a hooligan intervention by the police that does not
build, but destroys Macedonia ," said DPA President Arben
Xhaferri following Wednesday's police intervention.
Most of the telephone lines in Tetovo and Gostivar were
disconnected and the police closed all access roads to the town.
Mayor Alajdin Demiri said he had filed criminal charges
against, as he put it, "the vandal act" of the police.
The windows of the entrance door of the Tetovo municipal
building have been broken and there several offices have been
ransacked -- doors have been pulled out, computers destroyed,
furniture, burnt chairs...According to DPA, this was the doing of
the police.
In its second announcement on Wednesday, the Interior Ministry
stated that "tonight's removal of the flag has been abused by
certain extremists. The members of the Ministry have been
attacked with rocks, metal, and other objects." It is added that
"a certain quantity of Molotov cocktails, found on three citizens
of the Republic of Albania and two Macedonian citizens, have been
confiscated." Further down the text, signed by Assistant
Minister Zoran Verusevski, it is said that "the latest
information from the field deals with the use of chemicals and
gunfire on the members of the Interior Ministry by the
extremists. This provocation was appropriately responded to."
At DPA's news conference, it was said that a couple of their
activists had been arrested without warrants during the night,
namely, party spokesman Ernat Fejzualu, brother of DPA Vice
President Menduh Taci, and others. Mayor Rufi Osmani had also
been detained by the police without a warrant, DPA claimed.
Skopje daily Vecer reports that UNPREDEP representatives
arrived in Gostivar after the removal of the flags, only to leave
immediately after the clashes between police and demonstrators
broke out.
Following the removal of the flags, reinforced police forces
and armored vehicles were located in front of the Tetovo
municipal building, while police blocked the road. A group of
30-40 Albanians stood in front of the special police units all
the time, but they did not cause any reactions.
