Numerous bursts fired from automatic rifles and guns accompanied the celebration of Kosovo's independence before the Skenderbeu monument in Skopje yesterday. The police forces deployed in the area did not prevent the shooting, which, fortunately, did not result in any casualties. A number of citizens complained to the police yesterday, asking that the shooting be stopped. Some people even said that bullets fell just a few meters away from them.

A few thousand citizens of ethnic Albanian background started gathering before the Skenderbeu monument immediately after Kosovo declared independence, with the aim of marking the creation of the new state. The square was decorated with Albanian flags, as well as flags of the United States, the European Union, and NATO. A two-headed eagle was drawn on a large American flag, as a symbol of the Albanians' gratitude to the United States for the recognition of Kosovo's independence. Songs dedicated to the new state were also sung.