SKOPJE, North Macedonia — On Tuesday, a significant number of protesters across North Macedonia gathered to voice their concerns regarding the alarming air quality in cities that rank among Europe’s most polluted.

Participants in the demonstration in the capital, Skopje, assembled outside the Ministry of Environment, with many wearing gas masks to draw attention to the dire situation, which is linked to approximately 3,500 premature deaths each year, as reported by officials.

Air pollution tends to reach dangerously high levels during the winter months largely due to the reliance on log fires for heating. In many urban areas, residents who cannot afford central heating resort to burning wood, old tires, plastic, and various other waste materials, resulting in the release of a harmful cocktail of chemicals into the environment.

The protest was driven by calls for urgent national measures after a winter spell led to another increase in pollution levels. Demonstrators are urging the government to implement stricter regulations on both traffic and industrial activities, pointing to a long history of government inaction.

Gorjan Jovanovski, a leading voice in the environmental movement and creator of a mobile application for monitoring air quality, noted that the pollution crisis is prompting many urban residents to leave their homes, thus becoming “ecological migrants.” “It’s enough! We have waited decades for governments to take action, but they have not done anything,” he stated emphatically.

According to health authorities in the European Union, pollution measurements in Skopje and other cities within North Macedonia frequently exceed the limits set by the World Health Organization by a margin of more than four times.

The protests, which drew thousands of participants, were organized by Green Human City, among several environmental advocacy groups primarily focused on addressing the country’s air pollution issues.