Skopje, North Macedonia - March 18, 2025 Thousands of citizens flooded Macedonia Square in a silent outpouring of grief and anger. They came to honor the young lives lost in a tragic fire at the Pulse nightclub in Kocani, while also wielding banners that screamed out against corruption. "Easy flammable state"; "There’d be no blood if laws were followed"; "Their only sin was being born in a corrupt system," blared some of the messages clutched in their hands. The raw emotion was palpable. It began with 16 minutes of silence, marking the tragedy that struck on March 16. No speeches followed—just flowers and candles laid gently by the city square’s fountain. Skopje’s silence has never roared louder. The latest reports are grim: 59 young people perished in the blaze, including seven members of the band DNA and an on-duty police officer. Another 196 were injured, among them 20 children. Some are being treated locally, while others fight for life in foreign hospitals.