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SKOPJE, NORTH MACEDONIA - JUNE 27: A protest was held in front of the Greek Embassy in Skopje, the capital of North Macedonia, to mark the 80th anniversary of the massacre committed by Greece against Cham Muslim Albanians.Organized as part of the "Cham Week" events, the protest highlighted the historical and ongoing grievances of the Cham community.Protesters, carrying Cham symbols and Albanian flags, gathered to denounce the massacre and human rights violations that occurred during and after World War II.The Cham region (Chameria), starting from the south of Albania and extending to Ioannina and Preveza in Greece, has a history deeply intertwined with these tragic events.Until 1913, the Cham Albanians were citizens of the Ottoman Empire.Following the Balkan War and the 1913 London Conference, the Cham region was handed over to Greece as an ethnic and minority area, despite the 1910 census indicating a population of 83,000 Albanians.During World War II, under the command of Greek General Napoleon Zervas, forces committed severe atrocities against the Cham Albanians.From June 1944 to March 1945, this ethnic cleansing campaign resulted in the death of 2,900 men, 214 women, and 96 children.Additionally, 745 women were raped, and thousands of homes were destroyed. The harsh living conditions and forced displacement resulted in the deaths of over 2,000 more individuals.The ethnic cleansing compelled around 35,000 Albanians to flee to Albania, leaving their homes and properties behind.The Cham Albanians have since been demanding recognition of the events of 1944 as genocide, the right to return to their ancestral lands within Greece, and restitution of their confiscated properties.(Footage by Umeys Sulejman /Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)