SKOPJE, North Macedonia — Authorities in North Macedonia have detained ten individuals in connection with loud and disruptive celebrations, which reportedly included gunfire, held by members of the ethnic Albanian community to commemorate an important national holiday. The Interior Minister, Panche Toshkovski, indicated that those arrested, some of whom are minors, face serious accusations of “inciting national, racial, and religious hatred, discord and intolerance.” Should they be prosecuted and found guilty, they could face sentences of up to five years in prison.

The celebrations occurred late Thursday in the capital, Skopje, as well as in other urban areas, coinciding with Albanian Flag Day. During these festivities, at least one North Macedonia flag was reportedly taken down, shredded, and burned. Witnesses claim that some participants fired shots into the air using automatic weapons, although there have been no reports of injuries.

The events from Thursday night heightened ethnic tensions in North Macedonia, which has a significant ethnic Albanian population that has, at times, been restless. The right-wing government of the country condemned these actions, considering them a threat to national stability. Political parties across the spectrum, including those representing ethnic Albanians, have likewise condemned the actions that took place.

Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski referred to the destruction of the flag as “an act of aggression,” while Minister Toshkovski described it as “a direct attack against the state.” On Friday, Mickoski appealed to all Macedonian citizens—regardless of their ethnic background—not to permit these disruptive groups to jeopardize the integrity of their shared homeland.

Recent census data from 2021 indicates that ethnic Albanians make up nearly one-third of North Macedonia’s population, which totals around 1.8 million. Since the country gained independence from the former Yugoslavia in 1991, the relationship between the ethnic Macedonian majority and the Albanian minority has been delicate. A decade later, an armed uprising among ethnic Albanians concluded with an agreement that provided expanded rights for minority groups.

North Macedonia shares borders to the west with Albania and to the north with Kosovo, where the majority of the population is ethnic Albanian. Albanian Flag Day commemorates Albania’s independence from the Ottoman Empire, declared in 1912.