Albanian Hooligan Horde Stones Skopje Citizens

Vest daily reports that a 30-strong boy group, allegedly members of “Komiti” (Vardar fans), beat up their peer from Debar near the Stone Bridge. Two undercover policemen dispersed the group, whose members used metal bars and boots to cover the casualty in blood. The police managed to arrest two assailants. The attacked boy had to undergo medical treatment.

Dnevnik reports that the police blocked Goce Delchev Bridge, near the Government building, in order to prevent clashes. This cut the route of enthusiastic horde of Sloga fans who headed for the city stadium from the direction of Bit Pazar. They started moving in the opposite direction, towards Jaja Pasha. About 500 young Albanians from the “Smugglers” host (as members of this fan-group affectionately call themselves) expressed their grievances by attacking citizens and vehicles that happened to be on “Cvetan Dimov” street in Bit Pazar area.

“Most of them were young people, teenagers, high school age. They attacked the bus with stones. It was a terrible sight: all the passengers lying on the floor trying to save their heads. Some of them cried and shouted, asking me to let them go. They all ran for their lives after I managed to open the doors. I somehow took the bus to Avtokomanda garage,” says Pero Ackovski, a driver of one of the stoned buses.

Stones thrown by violent Albanians rained on up to 17 busses belonging to Skopje Public Transport Company (JSP) near Bit Pazar. Reportedly, the attackers spared the [mainly Albanian-owned] private busses that operate on the same route as JSP’s lines #8 and #19. Assaulted busses suffered broken windows. At least one bus-driver and three passengers fell victim to the attackers’ projectiles, and had to be taken to hospital. Two of them are teenage girls, high schools students. The police transported the victims to the Urgent Center of Skopje Clinic.

Reality Macedonia sources claim that the horde also savagely beat up an art student who happened to visit Kurshumli An, located in the nearby Old Bazaar. Academy of Fine Arts of Skopje University “Sts. Cyril and Methodius” uses some of the buildings in the Bazaar as studios or exhibition places.

According to Vest the police blocked “Cvetan Dimov” street and re-routed the traffic in Chair area over Topansko Pole.

As for the football match, Vardar won over Sloga-Jugomagnat, the incumbent champion of Macedonia’s Premium League, with 1:0. Dejan Ristovski scored the only goal in 78th minute. While Vardar showed superior and aggressive gameplay through 90% of the match, Sloga’s members mostly acted defensively and incoherently. Vardar’s goalkeeper Zekir marvelously defied both of their attacks on his goal. Nexhat Shabani, Sloga’s coach, later complained that his boys ignored his instructions.