Hundreds of people blocked Partizanska Boulevard by “Skopje City Mall” to express their anger against the non-transparent detailed urban plan of the Municipality of Karpos.
They protested against the cutting down of trees and the destruction of green spaces in exchange for the construction of buildings.
With shouts of “Ya Mafia”, “Karpos is ours” and banners reading “Children need to breathe clean air”, “We need clean lungs, not buildings”, they protested against, who they call the “urban Mafia”.
Citizens at the protest were supported by the political party DOM which stands for the Democratic Renewal of Macedonia, who asked local authorities to withdraw the detailed urban plans and allow a public debate on the issue.
“It makes no sense in allowing further destruction of green areas in the condition Skopje is in being one of the most polluted cities in Europe. The Municipality is obliged to reimburse citizens who have had their properties seized at an appropriate price for the land or to compensate them with other land, depending on a mutual agreement. But parks should remain public parks, because they in the public interest of residents and citizens”, said a spokeswoman Maja Moracanin from DOM.
GROM, the parent party of the Mayor of Karposh Stevce Jakimovski reacted in writing to the press conference of DOM and noted that “the land which has been confiscated or nationalized and returned was from the state of Macedonia, not local government.”
