On Thursday, 18 December, people gathered on the main square in Skopje, Macedonia to express solidarity with the struggles in neighboring Greece as well as to raise questions about issues in their society. Despite the rain and much of a public dissaproval preceding the protest, everything went nice and smooth.
Here is the call for protest and pamphlet spread among people:
IN SOLIDARITY WITH THE INSURRECTION IN GREECE, WE STAND FOR OUR FREEDOM!
The Greek people protest because they live in a totalitarian country. Because the main political actor now is the police, and the main action - the arrests, trials and shooting innocent children.
They protest because the wealth of couple of people means poverty for most of the other. Because the profit of the bosses from Athens and Thessaloniki means blood and sweat and less then a piece of bread for workers across Greece.
The students protest because the State and the capital wants to put a hand over education as well.
Many protest against the nationalistic and politics-of-the-cross of the Greek government. Minorities are repressed and the priests are omnipresent.
They protest because they live in a militarized society which reminds them to the junta. Because there is army on every corner, and in foreign missions.
They protest because instead of solving the problems, the government still tries to distract them with the absurd name issue with neighboring Macedonia. Instead of taking care about the future, the Greek government still tries to fight for the glorious history, and for a pair of symbols.
They protest because they do not live good. Because they are sick of being manipulated and abused.
Their reasons are our reasons. Ours, humane. That is why we should rise in solidarity.
* * *
What about the enslaved Macedonia?
Macedonian people live in totalitarian society as well, in which the main actors are the special forces of the police. Fresh is the blood of Trajan Bekirov [a Roma boy, victim of police brutality last year], fresh are the memories of the demolition of “Process” [raid of a club], and we do not need to talk much about everyday spectacular arrests and the so called war on criminal. Besides that, there are more and more prohibitions and banal sanctions with no effect but bullying people.
In Macedonia, the widening of the gap between the rich and the poor is not a sole issue. We face a rapid limitation of workers’ rights. The new law on workers rights practically sees the workers as lower form of beings.
The student problems are most obvious. The public education is super expensive, yet there is no quality; dormitories are ruined; the student leadership is backwards political installation; the student media are shut down; there is no room for progressive ideas. As a cherry on the top, we have the so called Agency for Youth and Sports which just spreads nationalism.
Besides the struggle of the people, Macedonia adopted politics-of-the-cross as well. Instead of dealing with the Eternal Kingdom, the Church deals with high politics and business. Without any logic nor purpose, crosses are greening out everywhere and there are plans for building church even on the city square.
Macedonia does not control its territory, but freed Iraq (at least we are retreating). Still, Macedonia is accomplice in the NATO crime in Afghanistan. Buys weapons as if we will go to war.
However, Macedonia has many other issues as well. The public health is collapsed. The environment is endangered by the iron foundries, oil refineries, medical waste, but the police is demonstrating force on ordinary people that spit on the street. And so on.
Nonetheless, it is easy to forget about all of this, because the one and only ultimate priority at the moment is the honor and the “fight for our identity”. Which normal and self-conscious subject has the urge to prove itself and to the others who it is or what it is? Instead of working on solutions on real problems, what everyone is focusing on is the name dispute, without any concept, which at the end of the day, turns out to be bad for the very same national interest they proclaim to defend. Instead of looking for the thruth in the better days to come, the truth is looked for in the Rosetta Stone, the Hunza tribes, and Alexander the Great. No one is even aware that tomorrow will come sooner than expected.
Tomorrow came in Greece, and will come from Greece. There, the people fight for their justice. For our justice. That is why we have to stand and give support. Long live the freedom!
[more photos]
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