North Macedonia: Albanians protest in Tetovo after court ruling on place names

Albanians in the North Macedonian city of Tetovo have protested after a court ruling that could reverse Albanian street and square names adopted nearly two decades ago.

The Constitutional Court struck down a 2007 municipal decision that renamed several public spaces in the city.

The ruling could restore the name Marshall Tito Square in place of Iliria Square.

Protesters said removing the name Iliria was unacceptable and disrespectful to the city’s Albanian community.

Tetovo is one of North Macedonia’s main Albanian-majority cities.

The court said the 2007 changes were made without government approval.

The case was brought by a veterans’ group linked to the Second World War anti-fascist movement.

For many Albanians, the disputed names are part of their political and cultural representation after the 2001 Ohrid peace agreement, which expanded Albanian rights in North Macedonia.