From February to March 2012, there was a wave of inter-ethnic and inter-religious violence throughout the Republic of Macedonia.

[5] News agencies reported that Muslims took offense to costumes worn by ethnic Macedonians on January 14, 2012 at an annual carnival in Vevčani.

Seemingly in retaliation, an Orthodox church near Struga in southwest Republic of Macedonia was burned on January 30.

[13][14][15][16][17] On 11 May 2012, 5,000 [18]-10,000[19] Albanians protested in front of the government building in Skopje, Republic of Macedonia.

", “We are not Terrorists, we are Muslims”, “KLA (Kosovo Liberation Army)”, “Greater Albania”, "Murderers", "UÇK" and smashed windows in government offices and court buildings.

The demonstrators also carried banners alleging that “Serbs and ethnic-Macedonians” were responsible for the quintuple murder.