Anti-EU protests in capital of North Macedonia, today new calls for violence

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The anti-EU protest in Skopje, the capital of North Macedonia, that are openly supported by the opposition parties VMRO-DPMNE and Levica, will continue today, starting from the street in front of the Government and will continue across the Goce Delchev Bridge toward Mavrovka, then to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs ministry and will end in front of the Parliament.

The route of today’s protest was announced to the media through the newly registered email address, which delivered a brief message: „Today the people will confront again the humiliating proposal for Macedonia which consents to all the Bulgarian conditions.”

During yesterday’s protest, the police barricades in front of the Parliament and the Government’s building were breached, and the protesters were throwing all kinds of objects at the police. Today, on the social networks a number of anonymous profiles are calling for violence.

The protests under the “Ultimatum? No, thank you” motto started on the 2nd of July 2022, with the goal to coerce the government of North Macedonia to reject the European Union’s proposal for the start of the negotiations for Macedonia’s EU accession. As stated by the organizers, the acceptance of the proposal and the negotiation framework in this form will lead to Bulgarization of the country.

The ruling party SDSM announced that at least 4 policemen were injured in yesterday’s protests.

“On US’s Independence Day, on the Day of the Fighter, we saw the violence of the Anti-NATO and Anti-EU coalition led by Hristijan Mickoski and Dimitar Apasiev. Yesterday, the public saw efforts to repeat the Bloody Thursday i.e. the 27th of April 2017 by the political parties that have foul plans for the state and its people,” said SDSM’s press release.

SDSM also stated that VMRO-DPMNE and Levica are trying by all means to destabilize the country, to prevent the EU accession process, by working for protection of foreign interests.

“SDSM, the institutions and the people will not allow the destructive acts by VMRO-DPMNE and Levica to jeopardize country’s EU future, will now allow the society to slip back to isolation and divisions,” SDSM’s press release states.

DUI also condemned the violence and the anti-EU incidents that occurred yesterday at the protest organized by VMRO-DPMNE and Levica in front of the buildings of the Parliament and the Government.

“In one of the most decisive moments for the country, when the history is being written and the foundations for the road to EU are being laidt, the Democratic Union for Integration reassures the institutions and the people that it will not allow that the country strays from the road of Euro-American friendship and EU accession. The pro-Russian parties that are leading the violent protests against the EU accession processes are implementing Moscow’s agenda for destabilization of the country and the region. Fortunately, these small parties have no support from the people,” DUI’s press release says.

The opposition party VMRO-DPMNE issued a press release stating that it supports the people that are “opposing loudly and with dignity the capitulation by Kovachevski’s government.”

“VMRO-DPMNE is supporting the people that are loudly and with dignity opposing this capitulation led by Kovachevski’s government. SDSM and Kovachevski are those who have chosen to be against their own people only to keep their positions on the account of the Macedonian identity. The people’s message is “Ultimatum? No, thank you,” said the press release issued by VMRO-DPMNE.

There are announcements for a new protest this evening, and the organizers have announced that it will not take place only in front of the Government. On the social networks, there are tens of calls for violence.

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