Just two days were enough for two separate incidents in Kumanovo to raise questions about whether someone is deliberately trying to undermine interethnic relations in the city.
After the headquarters of the cultural and artistic society “Srpski Vez” was vandalized over the weekend, several murals and graffiti in the Pero Čičo neighborhood were also defaced overnight with the inscription “UCK.”
The two incidents have sparked public reactions and condemnation from politicians and local authorities, while institutions continue to investigate both cases.
The first incident occurred during the night between Friday and Saturday, when unknown individuals vandalized the premises of “Srpski Vez.”
The walls were spray-painted with the inscription “UCK,” while Minister of Local Self-Government Ivan Stoiljković posted security camera footage on social media showing two people arriving by car, approaching the building, painting the graffiti, and then leaving the scene.
Stoiljković described the incident as a serious act of vandalism and called for the harshest possible punishment for those responsible.
In his statement, he said that “xenophobia mixed with chauvinism,” which he believes has been present in the public sphere for some time, is beginning to produce visible consequences.
He emphasized that the attack is particularly worrying because the premises are used by more than 200 children who participate in folklore activities, adding that both the state and the public should strongly condemn and sanction such behavior.
The incident was also condemned by Kumanovo Mayor Maksim Dimitrievski, who called for a swift and effective response from investigators.
“I strongly condemn the vandalism of the premises of the ‘Srpski Vez’ Cultural and Artistic Society in Kumanovo. I call on the investigative authorities to identify the perpetrators and bring them to justice. Kumanovo has always been a city of multiculturalism and coexistence, and it will remain so. Such actions are not patriotism but pure chauvinism that fuels ethnic intolerance, which all citizens of Kumanovo oppose,” Dimitrievski said.
The Kumanovo Police Department said the incident had been reported, a crime scene investigation had been carried out, and measures were being taken to identify those responsible and fully clarify the case.
While the public is still awaiting the outcome of the investigation into the vandalism at “Srpski Vez,” another similar incident was recorded overnight.
The inscription “UCK” was spray-painted on several murals and graffiti in the Pero Čičo neighborhood, further fueling suspicions that someone is intentionally trying to send messages that could provoke interethnic tensions.
So far, it is not known whether the two incidents are connected or whether the same individuals are responsible.
Kumanovo has long been regarded as one of the most multiethnic cities in the country, where different ethnic communities have lived and worked together for decades. For that reason, these incidents have attracted significant public attention and raised questions about whether they are isolated acts of vandalism or deliberate attempts to undermine interethnic relations and create unnecessary tensions.