[1][2] At the time, it was an event that weakened the stability of Macedonia and raised the possibility of an outbreak of armed conflict between ethnic Albanians and Macedonians in the country.

[3][4][5] Following independence, relations between the Macedonian state and the ethnic Albanian minority were tense due to disagreements over sociopolitical rights.

[1] Amidst that situation, on 6 November 1992, action was undertaken by Macedonian police against smuggling operations within Bit Pazar, an open marketplace located in the capital city Skopje.

[2] In another recollection, the teenager was taken by police to a hospital and that he was either treated badly or killed resulting in a group of 2000 people in an angered state to assemble and attempt to enter the medical facility.

[3] The event placed the spotlight on the real possibility of violent conflict in the state, similar to the ongoing war in Bosnia-Hercegovina.

[3] The Macedonian Ministry of Internal Affairs, dominated at the time by former communist members with anti-Albanian sentiments, used the incident as a reason not to recruit Albanians into the security forces.