I don’t know for sure when the special operations police entered the building, using tear gas to expel the rioters. While they were evacuating us, I did another live report. The injured future prime minister joined a rival MP in checking whether everyone was alright. Outside we were welcomed by a number of journalists. My phone rang again. Colleagues from Al Jazeera English were asking for a live report about the events of that night.
Today I can easily calculate the length of most news reports. But even now, I can’t estimate how long the events of that evening lasted. For me, it was the longest evening of my life. Sixteen people, including highly-ranked police officers, members of parliamentary security and rioters were sentenced to more than 200 years in prison over what became known as “Bloody Thursday” in Macedonia. The court ruled that police had intentionally defied their obligations and that the attack had been planned.
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