SKOPJE, North Macedonia: Thousands of people took to the streets of North Macedonia’s capital on Saturday demanding justice for the victims of a nightclub fire — the deadliest blaze in the country’s history — ahead of the trial next week of the club owner and others.
The March 16 fire and the ensuing stampede killed 63 people, most of them young revelers, and injured more than 200. It was sparked by a pyrotechnic flame that engulfed the roof of the crowded Pulse club in the eastern town of Kocani.
Protesters, including relatives of the victims, dressed in black and marched to the Criminal Court in Skopje, carrying large banners with photos of their loved ones.
Parents blame corruption and greed for the deaths of their children. Authorities said the venue had numerous and serious safety violations and was operating with the wrong license.
Natalija Gjorgjieska was among the families demanding justice on Saturday. Her husband, musician Andrej Gjorgjieski, was killed in the fire. “We demand the truth. Where did the mistakes occur, who didn’t respond, which institutions were late, who had the responsibility to prevent and did not?” she said.
