We did not agree to this

Gordana Popsimonova

I have to admit, the image of Mitko Cavkov sitting handcuffed in the court waiting room has caught me by surprise, even more so the photograph of him walking around the Investigation prison in Sutka. What sickened me the most were the comments on social networks that go to inarticulate ranges from jokes and ridicule to the most grievous threats and inadequate comparison. I witnessed the same inappropriate reactions about the rest of the arrested and detainees.

In all of this, I refuse to forget the images of the beaten students during the Student Parliament election, when there were more special police forces and police vehicles from the unfortunate incident in Divo Naselje. I still remember the students’ message “Take my photo, Cavkov!” when he documented each participant in the protests. And, of course, I will never forget the students’ comment – “How are we supposed to stay here, Professor?”

After all this, I refuse to put a sign of equality between what the servants of Gruevism did to my country and the “international celebration” for the reaction of the rule of law. Let’s talk about the events of April 27, because the current measures are imposed on those same individuals. Even children know that the events were planned and edited, and that the goal was to provoke street confrontations with possible victims, which would give Gjorge Ivanov a reason to declare martial law and suspend the newly elected parliament speaker, and the new parliamentary majority that automatically gets a mandate to elect a new government. So, the scenario was to prevent Zaev from forming a government. This, ladies and gentlemen, comrades and friends, is called an attempted coup d’etat or overthrow. Which itself is a serious crime. Period.

The luck, or wisdom, consisted in the fact that, at those crucial moments, what the directors predicted didn’t happen: people from the opposite side did not gather despite the terrible scenes of violence against MPs by the protesters, coordinated and guided by people with masks. The attempt simply collapsed, which does not mean that nobody will be responsible for its inspiration, organization and implementation. On the contrary.
We, all of us, are witnessing an intensified activity of the Prosecution in collecting evidence for the events of 27 April in the past few months.
And we all were expecting things to start moving toward a full clarification of the incident.
And in the past few days, when the investigative and judicial authorities came to the scene, when the arrests began, when the first detention measures were pronounced and when it was completely expected, Gruevski and his closest friends began to complain about some kind of political revanchism, and now we, who were in the front lines in the destruction of an undemocratic regime, should show that we are not like them.

Let’s show that we respect the presumption of innocence. That we are principled in our demands set in the slogan – “No justice, no peace”. That we will not give up demanding responsibility from all those who committed crimes against their own state and people. That we have an understanding of our misguided fellow citizens who, for their own reasons, fell under the influence of Gruevism. That we will put pressure on the current government not to fall under the impressions of power. That each of us will individually fight for new democratic values. That the patriot is the one who is fighting for the prosperity of his country and people, and not for a devious and mad gang.

This is why, my friends, I repeat: We did not agree to be a continuation of Gruevism and its manners of rule, manipulation and retaliation against the ones that have an opposing opinion. I don’t want to see any jokes, humiliating, ridiculing, cursing, meddling in their personal lives and their families, or in other words, stooping to their level.

We were on the barricades defending freedom and justice. Let’s never forget that were are not like them. We will demand the respect and the presumption of innocence, as well as protection of basic human decency for everyone and a fair trial for all defendants.

That is what we fought for.