Skopje: Over 40 wounded police officers and dozens of detained protesters

The Northern Macedonia Ministry of Interior Affairs has indicated that 47 police officers, 11 of them with serious injuries and two with serious injuries, were injured during the protest on July 5th.

The Interior Ministry's announcement says 11 people have been detained during the protests and that police have not used pyrotechnic or chemical means to disperse the crowd.

Protesters are opposing a French proposal aimed at helping overcome differences between Skopje and Sofia, dealing with language and history.

The July 5th protest was described violently as protesters broke glass and threw red paint into the government building, the Parliament and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Northern Macedonia's minister, Dimitar Kovachevski, has condemned the violent behaviour of protesters, saying every citizen has the right to protest, but violence cannot be justified.

“I strongly condemn the attack on the police, which was in charge yesterday by professionally defending citizens and state institutions. Violence and hatred can be no solution to any problem. I say to the protesters: "Don't manipulate and abuse young people to satisfy your political appetites”," Kovachevski wrote in a Facebook post.

The July 5th protest was fourth in a row. Protesters are demanding that authorities reject the French proposal, aimed at unblocking the North Macedonia integration process into the European Union. /rel/