Macedonian Anti-Pollution Protest

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  • vicsinad
    Senior Member
    • May 2011
    • 2337

    Macedonian Anti-Pollution Protest

    Perhaps just as much about government corruption as it is about pollution.

    Protests as Macedonia's Government Gives a Polluting Factory in Tetovo Another Break

    Hundreds of residents in northwestern Macedonia protested against their government's decision to extend yet another deadline for the Jugohrom steel factory to install anti-pollution filters at their seven furnaces in Tetovo, the country's most polluted city.

    There have been several extensions of this deadline through the years. The last one was in April 2014 when the plant was granted a 6-month period to undertake necessary measures to reduce pollution. But the deadline passed and the factory took no steps to comply with environmental standards. Tetovo residents, who protested earlier when similar promises were broken, took to the streets again on Friday, November 7, 2014.

    Jugohrom is identified by experts as a major air polluter in the Pollog region in northwest Macedonia. The region includes two major cities Tetovo and Gostivar, which have more than 300,000 residents. Pollution in this region is extremely high and it becomes worse in the winter when heating season begins.

    The situation is alarming because the density of air pollution in the region, specifically particulate matter PM10, which the World Health Organization (WHO) says is a harmful air pollutant linked to excessive premature mortality, is currently 8 times higher than permitted limits. In winter, the density of PM10 in the air can surpass the permitted limit by more than ten times. The WHO says exposure to high levels of this type of air pollution drastically increases the risk of respiratory infections, heart disease, stroke, and cancer.

    Arianit Xhaferi from Eco Guerilla, the organization that organized the protest under the slogans “Don’t Be Silent, Raise Your Voice” and “We want fresh air!” in Tetovo stated:

    This is just the beginning; we will protest again and will earnestly seek for fresh air. We cannot stop our breath, but they can stop the factory with a push of a button. We will not give up because our demands are legitimate.

    Protesters emphasized that they do not want the factory to close for the factory's 1200 workers, but they resolutely want the factory to install filters and undertake all necessary measures to reduce pollution.

    Albert Ziberi, a health enthusiast from Tetovo, tweeted:

    Let's make this clear, the goal is to install filters not to end jobs!

    Many Macedonians are revolted by the government’s attitude and carelessness, narrowing down the health of thousands of citizens to a bureaucracy and deadlines extensions. Global Voices author Filip Stojanovski responded to questions from regional and international bloggers and media on Twitter, explaining the protests:

    The portal Portalb.mk is covering pollution issues in Macedonia closely and is continuously providing coverage of the protests against air pollution in Tetovo. In an article entitled “Will the Macedonian Government shorten the life of its citizens” [al, mk] provided a history of the pollution problem along with a list of unfulfilled promises made by the government and the repeated deadline extensions that have been granted for installing filters in polluting factories.

    The protests also received notable international attention, the Los Angeles Times published a photo from the protests in Tetovo.

    A video was also created by protesters and shared on social networks calling for concrete action by depicting the future of Tetovo, if the current rate of air pollution continues.
  • Gocka
    Senior Member
    • Dec 2012
    • 2306

    #2
    Perhaps, but also don't forget the demographics of Tetovo and surrounding areas. Its probably most likely that they are just protesting because of anti Macedonian sentiment, but in this case for once their protest may be justified.

    Originally posted by vicsinad View Post
    Perhaps just as much about government corruption as it is about pollution.

    Comment

    • vicsinad
      Senior Member
      • May 2011
      • 2337

      #3
      Originally posted by Gocka View Post
      Perhaps, but also don't forget the demographics of Tetovo and surrounding areas. Its probably most likely that they are just protesting because of anti Macedonian sentiment, but in this case for once their protest may be justified.
      I certainly have those same suspicions. I was looking for any Albanian flags in the photos or anti-Macedonian slogans

      But I'm not sure this protest was fueled by that. I remember driving by the Jugohrom factory this summer (both my dad's and my fiance's dad's villages are just a few away from there), and many of the Macedonians that I talked to about it only had bad things to say about how dirty it is, even though they say the factory is overall a good thing because it supplies hundreds of jobs. I think the overall sentiment by most Macedonian citizens, Albanian or Macedonian, in that area is that the current government is pretty lackadaisical when it comes to environmental issues.

      Comment

      • Gocka
        Senior Member
        • Dec 2012
        • 2306

        #4
        The government is pretty lackadaisical with everything so are all the other people who inhabit that god forsaken land.

        Factories have started to pop up all over Macedonia so I get the feeling this wont be the last time we hear about something like this.

        Comment

        • George S.
          Senior Member
          • Aug 2009
          • 10116

          #5
          they are all just paying lip service once they lose theor jobs the pollution cause will be over.
          "Ido not want an uprising of people that would leave me at the first failure, I want revolution with citizens able to bear all the temptations to a prolonged struggle, what, because of the fierce political conditions, will be our guide or cattle to the slaughterhouse"
          GOTSE DELCEV

          Comment

          • Carlin
            Senior Member
            • Dec 2011
            • 3332

            #6
            Тетово тоне во ѓубре, жителите гневни на Теута Арифи која мува не ја лази: „Малку е ова за Тетово, европска градоначалничка имаат“

            URL:


            Тетово никако да се ослободи од загаденоста и зимо и лето.

            Иако тетовци мислеа дека со доаѓањето на летото ќе се ослободат од загадениот воздух, сепак општината на чие чело е Теута Арифи уште еднаш докажа дека тоа не е можно.

            Социјалните мрежи овие денови се преполни со фотографии од расфрлано ѓубре во Тетово, а граѓаните гневни бараат спас од градоначалничката која мува не ја лази.

            -Има луѓе во овој град да се побунат или се чека некој друг да заврши работа?

            -Малку е ова за Тетово, Европска градоначалничка имаат, само едно не ми е јасно како тетовци трпат, запали го сакале или не ќе го изгаснат и исчистат.

            -Лепота, се само дел од коментарите под фотографиите кои ги разочараа тетовци од владеењето на градоначалничката.

            Comment

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