Citizens of Sredno Konjare east of Skopje blocked the Skopje – Stip highway today for a second day in a row. They are protesting the quarry operating near the village.

The protest caused long delays on Macedonia’s newest highway which is a key link between the eastern part of the country and the capital.

The quarry was opened by the public water management company directly on the Pcinja river that flows through the village before linking with the Vardar. Although it’s ran by a public company, ostensibly to better manage the waterflow of Pcinja, villagers believe that the quarry is ran for a profit, while badly damaging the environment and redirecting the river.