Call For Solidarity With Macedonia’s Protesters

Note from the LeftEast editors: this text coming from citizens, activists and academics concerned by the recent developments in Macedonia, is an attempt to draw attention to the events in the country. It is also a plea for your solidarity with the citizens who are seeking justice and freedom. If you would like your name or that of your organisation to be added to the list of supporters, please write to lefteasteditors@gmail.com, with the following as the subject line: SOLIDARITY WITH MACEDONIA’S PROTESTERS

On Tuesday night (05.05.2015) thousands of citizens of Macedonia protested outside of the government headquarters calling for resignation of the Prime Minister Gruevski and his cabinet. Audio tapes of wiretapped conversations between government officials, which were aired hours before, revealed direct involvement of the Prime Minister and the Minister of Internal Affairs in concealing the truth regarding the murder of a 22-year-old man beaten to death by a police officer while on duty in June 2011.

What started off as a peaceful protest against police brutality soon escalated as the protesters broke the police cordon and moved right in front of the government building. Within a couple of hours, hundreds of fully armed special police forces cracked down on the protest using brute force, shock bombs and tear gas to disperse the crowds, and also threatened to use, but eventually refrained from using water cannons. By the end of the police action, dozens of activists were detained – some of them after being chased far into downtown Skopje. In the hunt of protesters, the special police forces even raided a public university library, harassing the students who happened to be there at the time.

As a result of the violent crackdown, a small number of police officers and passers-by, and a higher number of protesters were seriously injured. An estimated number of 40 activists have been detained. Protests have been scheduled to resume every day at 18:00.

Alarmed by Tuesday nights’ indiscriminate use of force by the police forces in Skopje, we fear that the confrontations are likely to escalate further. We have no doubts that Gruevski will resist the calls for resignation and is prepared to push the police forces to tragic extremes in an attempt to maintain his grip on state power and resources.

The audiotape which sparked the protest is only the most recent one in a series of leaked wiretaps, which the opposition party the Social Democrats has been broadcasting to the Macedonian public. What began with evidence of the surveillance of over 20,000 citizens orchestrated by the Prime Minister and his cousin, the Chief of the Directorate for Security of Classified Information, Sasho Mijalkov, continued with ever more scandalous revelations.

In over 30 sets of leaked wiretaps the conversations revealed election fraud, complete control over the judiciary and media, actions of direct pressures and threats towards non-supporters, embezzlement of vast quantities of public money and public property for private gain, corruption on a massive scale. They have demonstrated how over a period of 9 years, since Gruevski has been in power, the state has been turned into a criminal network fully dedicated to defending the personal interests of the governing elite, their families and friends, and to maintaining a complete system of control of the public through the incessant use of propaganda. The nearly total control over the media has resulted in limited information available to the Macedonian public regarding the wiretapped materials, the protests and the brutality of the police. Social media and a few media portals have been the only sources of information.

We support the protesters’ requests for the resignation of the Government. Moreover, we urge the Macedonian Police Forces to demonstrate solidarity with their citizens, to restrain from the disproportionate use of violence and to refuse any orders that are against the Constitution and in violation of the rights and liberties of the protesters. Finally, we call for an unbiased and professional reporting by national and international media on the ongoing events.

 If you would like your name and/or that of your organisation to be added to the list of supporters, please write to lefteasteditors@gmail.com, with the following as the subject line: SOLIDARITY WITH MACEDONIA’S PROTESTERS

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SIGNATORIES

LD Solidarnost, Macedonia

Cross-border Committee, Macedonia

LeftEast

MARKS21

Pokret Occupy Croatia

European Alternatives

Levi Front Srbija

Centar za politike emancipacije, Serbia

ODRAZ- Organizacija za demokratsku reakciju i asocijacija udruzenja

Macedonian Centre for European Training

MJAFT! Movement – Albania

LadiC — LadilnicA Macedonia

Open University Sarajevo

IDS, Initiative for Democratic Socialism – Slovenia

Project 2020, Cardiff, Wales

Türk Mimar ve Mühendis Odaları Birliği İl Koordinasyon Kurulu (TMMOB IKK)

Initiative for Democratic Socialism (member of The United Left coalition)

Zelena omladina Srbije (Serbian Green Youth)

Urban Movements Istanbul

Civic Initiatives, Belgrade, Serbia

Socijaldemokratska omadina Srbije

Life After Capitalism, Bulgaria

AnarresBooks, Bulgaria

_____

Elena B. Stavrevska, Central European University, Hungary

Adela Gjorgjioska, LeftEast, Italy

Anastas Vangeli, Polish Academy of Sciences, Poland

Trajce Panov, European University Institute, Italy

Leonora Grcheva, Macedonia

Ana Aceska, Humboldt University, Germany

Marjan Ajevski, NYU

Tomce Runcevski, Max Planck Society and University of California Berkeley

Ognen Vangelov, Queen’s University, Canada

Rory Archer, University of Graz, Austria

Ana Tomicic, Croatia

Emin Eminagic, Lijevi BiH

Sanne van den Heuvel, The Netherlands

Mina Baginova

Philippe Bertinchamps, Le Courrier des Balkans

Teresa Forte, Portugal

Mariya Ivancheva, LeftEast, Bulgaria

Katerina Anastasiou, transform!europe, change4all.eu

Sava Jokić, Marks21, Belgrade

Maja Savevska, Harvard Law School

Olimpija Hristova Zaevska, Institute for Social Innovation and Research – Impact, Macedonia

Tanja Milevska, Journalist, Belgium

Alexis Cukier, Ensemble-Front de gauche, France

Dr. Rudolf Gabriel, physician, Austria

Jana Gajic, student, Serbia

Elena Veljanovska, Curator, Berlin

Neda Genova, cultural theorist, Bulgaria

Jose Reis Santos, Contemporary History Institute, New University of Lisboa

Alexander Lambevski, Sextures Institute, Sydney, Australia

Josipa Rizankoska, University of Siena, Italy

Neda Genova, cultural theorist, Bulgaria

Gareth Davies, MPhil candidate in Sociology, Trinity College Dublin

Borjan Gjuzelov, University of Flensburg, Germany

Alen Zekovic, PhD student of Laws, Serbia

Anna Chung, PhD in Political Science

Roska Vrgova, Poland

Goran Lazarevski, Columbia University

Biljana Kotevska, Human Rights researcher and activist, Alumna of the Universities of Essex, Bologna, Sarajevo and UKIM

Zoran Gjorgievski, London, UK

Alfredo Sasso, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Spain

Marija Radoman

Radomir Trajkovic

Vesna Milosavljević, SEEcult.org

Erka Kosta

Ron Salaj – Human Rights activist & campaigner, Italy

Ana Marija Najdova , Macedonia

Drivalda Delia, Student, LMU, Munich

Martin Naunov, Middlebury College

Paula Jojart; gender expert and activist, Slovakia

Neda Tozija

Aleksej Demjanski, Elliott School of International Affairs

Biljana Vuchovska-Vörös, University of Fribourg, Switzerland

Slobodan Tomic, PhD Candidate, London School of Economics and Political Science, UK

Vladimir Bogoeski, German Trade Unions Confederation (DGB), Berlin, Germany

Wendy Lyon, Human Rights Lawyer, Dublin

Tanya Kimova, Belgium

Elena Presilska, EU Info Centre, Podgorica, Montenegro

Srdjan Djurić, Socijalistička Narodna Partija Nove Jugoslavije

Deni Sanxhaku, “Organizata Politike”, Albania

Miguel Rodríguez Andreu, writer, Spain

Miguel Alonso Ortega, Spain

Zsófia Lóránd, CEU, NANE, Hungary

Osama Salem, PhD Candidate, Europa Universität Flensburg, Germany

Evgeny Belyakov, Human Rights activist, Moscow, Russia

Helena Lopes Braga, CESEM, FCSH, New University of Lisbon

Natasha Wilson, University College London

Yulia Karpova, Central European University, Hungary

Zoltan Gluck Department of Anthropology, City University of New York, Graduate Center

Ana Margarida Esteves, Center for International Studies, ISCTE – University Institute of Lisbon

Gabriel Richard-Molard, European Secretary of the French Socialist Party abroad

Luke Kelly, Central European University, Hungary

Adriana Qubaiova, Central European University, Hungary

Piotr Wcislik, Central European University, Hungary

Dr. Naum Panovski, Professor of Humanities

Zsuzsa Selyem, Writer, Romania

Sandra Mardin, UK

Nikola Dimitrov, Distinguished Fellow, The Hague Institute for Global Justice

Elena Marchevska, London South Bank University

Nikola Kjurchiski, Russian Presidential Academy, Moscow, Russia

Mirjana Milenkovic

Ljubica Spaskovska, University of Exeter, UK

Kire Vasilev, Political Scientist

Eva Duchkovska, Université Charles de Gaulle, Lille, France

Tijana Katushevska, Harvard University

Tanja Hafner Ademi, Balkan Civil Society Development Network

Gaetan Homerin, Valenciennes, France

Dan Collier, UK

Natalia Telepneva, London School of Economics, UK

Corina Mavrodin, London School of Economics, UK

Marko Milošević, Radnička fronta (Workers’ front), Zagreb, Croatia

Elma Demir, Researcher

Lela Rekhviashvili, Central European University

Rebeka Veljanovska, student, The Netherlands

Andreas Hummler, Germany

Julia Lechler, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München & Universität Regensburg

Jelena Zhivkovikj, Sweden

Tina Tanurovska

Ana Bojadjievska, Berlin

Elena Micajkova, Utrecht University

Predrag Terzioski, Eurocontrol, Brussels

Bojan Marichikj

Monika Stadnicka

Ana Todorovska, Central European University, Hungary

Martin Galevski, DPhil Student, University of Oxford

Ana Bobić, DPhil Candidate, University of Oxford

Sasa Stankovic

Robert Alagjozovski

Dimitar Minovski, University of Helsinki, Finland

Ermira Kamberi, Utrecht University

Iskra Duchkovska, King’s College London

Fabio Mattioli, PhD Candidate, CUNY Graduate Center

Angela Kochoska, PhD student, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia

Kalia Dimitrova, student, Krakow, Poland

Darja Stoeva, Maastricht University

Andrew Graan, Center for International Studies, University of Chicago, USA

Lisa Gross

Jessica Greenberg, Assistant Professor, Anthropology, University of Illinois

Rojhat Turk, Well Engineer, Diyarbekir, Turkey

Maja Stojanovska, Stockholm, Sweden

Maja Djundeva, University of Groningen

Djoshkun Shengjuler, Pennsylvania State University

Loran Bajrami, Anadolu University, Turkey

Milena Crnogorčević, Middlebury College

Kappa Delta Rho National Fraternity

Benjamin Kinney Harris, President, Alpha Society of Kappa Delta Rho

Dave Wilson, PhD Candidate, University of California, Los Angeles

Catherine Samary, economist, Paris

Maggie Nazer, Middlebury College

Maya Panova, USA

Anastasija Siljanoska, Faculty of Arts, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic

Marija Sidorenko, Fakultete za arhitekturo, Univerza v Ljubljani

Mitre Georgiev, Centre for Peace Studies, Zagreb

Cagdas Özbakan, Journalist, Berlin

Alma Krantic, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Abraham Fuentes Gomez, Primary Education student, Spain

Zorica Matkovic, Belgrade, Serbia

Igor Stiks, University of Edinburgh, Scotland

Andrew Graan, Center for International Studies, University of Chicago, USA

Waqas Mirza

Paul Stubbs, The Institute of Econmics, Zagreb

Tijana Radeska, University of Cambridge, UK

Ersin Şenel, Journalist, Istanbul

Dimitris Dalakoglou, Senior Lecturer in Anthropology, University of Sussex

Liliana Sousa, New School for Social Research

Rossen Petrov, New Bulgarian Unversity, Sofia

Salman Hussain, PhD Candidate, Department of Anthropology, City University of New York, New York

Anja Šerc, Msc, Ljubljana, Slovenia

Duygu Parmaksizoglu, PhD Candidate, Department of Anthropology, City University of New York, New York, NY

Gligor Micajkov, Utrecht University

Dimitri Barbera

Ana Kotevska, Harvard University

Katerina Dimovska, IED Milano

Validebag Volunteers, Istanbul, Turkey

Thomas Schad, PhD candidate, Humboldt University Berlin

Karin Golaski

James J. A. Blair, The Graduate Center, City University of New York

Mila Shopova, Anthropologist, Thailand

Mevhibe Gozcelioglu

Taksim Gezi Park Association

Iris Kronauer, Cologne, Germany

Luisa Chiodi, Osservatorio Balcani Caucaso

Jasmine Elezi

Ayten Alkan, Assoc. Prof. PhD., Istanbul University

Irena Šentevska, Belgrad

Nihat Ucukoglu

Michele Vianello, Italy

Luca Manunza, University of Naples

Imre Azem, Director, Ekumenopolis

Ivan Stefanovski, Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa (sede di Firenze) Italy

Pola Cebulak, Global Studies Institute, University of Geneva

Ersoy Tan

Marta Maja Lipińska, Youth Worker, Poland

Filip Lech

Bartosz Mindewicz, Cultural activist, Poland

Michał Grosz, University of Warsaw, Poland

Marek Nalikowski, Poland

Robert Statkiewicz, University of Warsaw

Aida Bagić, Zagreb, Croatia

Catherine Samary, Economist, France

Matias Janvin, University of Oxford

Andrea Varriale, Bauhaus University of Weimar, Germany

Luka Z. Božović, potpredsednik Socijaldemokratske omadine Srbije

Filiz Mut

Pelin Demireli

Daniela Gavrilova

Afirdita Zeynep Kuka Bak

Zvonko Dimoski, Adam Mickiewicz University of Poznań, Poland

Francesca Valsecchi, Italy, China

Noa Espino

Mirjana Kosić, TransConflict, Serbia

Dan Collier

Katinka Lansink Dodero, activist, Food Frontiers, the Netherlands

Spyros A. Sofos, Center for Middle Eastern Studies, Lund University

Vanja Savic, PhD candidate, Faculty of Political Sciences, University of Belgrade, Serbia

Gentiana Cani

Martin Petrov

Goran Janev, Sts Cyril and Methodius University,  Skopje

Safet Ahmeti, Center for Visual Studies Skopje