Skopje: Riots Against a Decade-Long Rule by Far-Right VMRO-DPMNE Continue

By Vladislav Perunović, Skopje, FYROM

The protests in FYROM against the monopolization of power in the hands of ruling VMRO-DPMNE party continued throughout the evening of 27th of April. The demands by rioters, mostly young people as well as intellectuals which oppose the social and economical stagnation,... as well as the forgery of history and culture, are focused on resignation of current political elite and holding fair elections.

Most of the mainstream media in FYROM, particularly television, willfully ignores the demands by thousands of people from all parts of the political spectrum and all ethnic and religious groups represented in the country towards restoration of a civil society. Due to this totalitarian monopoly over conventional media, there’s a growth of alternative methods of communications among citizens, mostly through extensive usage of Internet social networks. Yesterday’s (Wednesday) protests in Skopje were particularity large and they show no evidence of “fading away” of participant’s will to oppose the current regime. These riots in FYROM’s capital city ended in front of the Government palace where rioters paint-bombed the images of the leader of VMRO-DPMNE and strongman of the far-right, Nikola Gruevski as well as of the President of the small central Balkan country, Ѓorge Ivanov.

Protesters in Skopje are joined by citizens of many of the small towns throughout the country as well as by some sections of FYROM Slavic Diaspora, which is unprecedented situation in the last 25 years.