抗议者袭击马其顿议会

Protesters stormed the Macedonian parliament in Skopje Thursday, throwing chairs and attacking lawmakers after they elected an ethnic Albanian speaker.

The leader of the opposition Social Democrats, Zoran Zaev, was seen on live television with blood on his forehead.

Demonstrators blocked the door of the chamber, refusing to let lawmakers leave as they waved flags in their faces and shouted "traitors."

Police outside the building fired stun grenades to break up the crowd.

Lawmakers from the Social Democrats and ethnic Albanian parties elected former defense minister Talat Xhaferi speaker, even though the country has no functioning government.

The conservatives won December's parliamentary election, but without enough seats to form a government.