Music and Hatred: How a Song Caused Ethnic Tensions at a Student Party in Skopje

A student party in Skopje in Spring took an unexpected turn when the playing of an Albanian song towards the end of the event sparked controversy and hate speech on social media. A nationalist group named “Patriotsko drushtvo” (Patriotic Society), self-proclaimed as a “young, ambitious group of patriots filled with enthusiasm,” criticised the inclusion of the song in Albanian, triggering hate speech aimed at the student organisation, with members from diverse ethnic backgrounds, which was behind the party.

How does nationalism disguised as “patriotism” perpetuate ethnic hatred and discrimination?

What actually happened at the student party?

We talked about the event with Aleksandar Ristoski, Vice President of the University Student Assembly (USS) of UKIM (Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje), and student ombudsman Savche Gjosheva – both of whom were involved in organising the event. They recounted what transpired during the evening and raised suspicions about the motives of the individuals who selectively recorded only the Albanian song played among other genres of music at the party.

The several-hour event involved learning Latin dances, and after the official part ended, students played music for their enjoyment.

The following day, the group calling itself “Patriotic Society” posted a video from the party on the social media platform Instagram, where a song in Albanian was heard, accompanied by the caption “This is what’s going on at the University Student Assembly” and an Albanian flag emoji.

“We organised a party where many students were invited together with the Student Assembly. The theme of the night was Latin music, as the idea was to dance and have fun. However, of course, as the evening was coming to a close, we also started playing Macedonian, Serbian, Albanian, even Turkish songs,” Ristoski explains.

“The Student Assembly is not only made up of Macedonians, but also of members from other ethnic communities. So, that happened because we wanted to play every song request and to enjoy ourselves with our friends. I mean, it shouldn’t be condemned because such songs serve purely to lighten the mood and enhance the fun,” clarifies Gjosheva.

The UKIM University Student Assembly released a reaction video condemning the nationalist group’s move, stating that such posts only provoke ethnic intolerance. “As academic citizens, we must denounce this move and anyone else who promotes ethnic intolerance and discrimination. We stand united in the belief that we all live in this country together,” the video stated. It also attracted negative comments and hate speech.

Gjosheva and Ristoski expressed surprise at the reactions to the post from the group on Instagram, as they had not experienced similar incidents before – this being the first such case.

“We haven’t experienced such an incident before, and it is true that the University Student Assembly and the entire academic community comprises diverse ethnic communities, and I believe that such comments and incidents do not contribute to the greater good or facilitate communication between ethnic groups; on the contrary, they only serve to alienate us,” says Gjosheva.

The Vice President of the University Student Assembly, Ristoski, does not expect such problems to occur in the future. He emphasized that they had no ethnic problems within the organisation. In fact, they have only had excellent cooperation. However, he expressed concern about how the incident could impact assembly members from various ethnic communities.

“My main concern is the fact that they feel this way, and I’m sorry about that. We’re doing everything we can to ensure that they (students from various ethnic backgrounds) feel comfortable and understand that we’re here for them as friends. Negative comments do not reflect the overall sentiment; they’re just the views of individuals or exceptions,” says Ristoski.

What impact does hate speech have on the person to whom it is directed?

Prof. Blagica Rizoska Vanikj, a gestalt coach, therapist, supervisor, and professor of practice at the University American College Skopje, argues that the media landscape, particularly the Internet and social media, facilitate the spread of hatred primarily because “keyboard warriors” often lack a sense of accountability for their actions.

“However, on the other side, the one who is on the receiving end of the negative comments experiences them very realistically. That’s where the risk lies. On the one hand, yes, it will go unnoticed by the media, but the one who experiences it, does so very personally, very deeply, and those emotions are very real. Just as if someone had threatened, underestimated, or insulted them in front of an audience and, in a way, the consequences are borne by the victim in that case or the one without a coping mechanism,” says Prof. Vanikj.

Student ombudsman Gjosheva faced a barrage of negative comments on social media, including hate speech, which deeply affected her. She shared the feelings that this attack caused her.

“It didn’t make me feel good; obviously, I felt like a target, as if someone were insulting me without getting to know me and the values I live by. At first, why someone would do that seemed strange to me, but later I realised their aim was to discredit, provoke, and insult,” Gjosheva explains.

Polarisation as a result of hate speech

Prof. Vanikj argues that when we establish and form a relationship with someone from a different nationality or ethnic background we are faced with the decision of whether to rely on our perception and often there’s a conflict between our own perception and the views of our “group”. On one hand, our perception suggests such relationships are indeed possible, while on the other hand, our group may insist that “it is not so”.

In this case, the person experiences internal conflict and polarisation over what is true – whether to trust their own feelings and experiences or to follow the prevailing views of their group.

“I don’t believe anyone hates others based on nationality, religion, or skin colour. Instead, it seems that hatred often arises from certain characteristics of someone, even if their background is different. Most of the time, it boils down to the beliefs we were raised with and our ideas about what good and bad is, and who acts in a good or bad way. 

What does “hate speech” mean?

Hate speech is any form of expression that encourages discrimination, hostility, or violence against an individual or group based on characteristics such as race, religion, ethnicity, gender, or other factors. It can be manifested in various forms, including insults, offensive jokes, threats, stereotypes, or dehumanizing language. Hate speech can lead to increased fear, incite violence, and create a climate of discrimination and hostility. However, there is no universally accepted definition of hate speech under International Human Rights Law.

Author: Despina Kovachevskа, media monitor specialist