Skopje – Marking a new stage in the protests against the Law on Higher Education, Macedonian students have occupied faculties in Skopje, proclaiming them an ‘autonomous territory’.

Over a thousand students on Wednesday occupied the Skopje university faculties of Philosophy, Philology, Law and the Economy, proclaiming them an “autonomous students’ territory”.

Students demand the immediate suspension of a new Law on Higher Education, which has introduced mandatory externally supervised exams.

In the meantime they also demand substantial talks with the government in preparing any new legislation, saying that so far they have been ignored and manipulated.

“We will stay here until our demands are met. We will sleep here and eat here. We call on all the students to join us on our autonomous territory because together we are stronger,” the occupying students said in a statement.

The students, rallied around an informal movement called the Student’s Plenum, got backup from many professors, themselves organized in the so-called Professors Plenum.

Students held up banners reading “No justice no peace”, “We are angry” and “We occupy in order to liberate”.

While in control of the campus, the students said they would organize alternative lectures, concerts and other events. They said similar actions will take place in other faculties.