Recent Diaspora Protests

[Liberator of Makedonija]

I started this thread to list and discuss the recent protests by Macedonians in Canada and the US and also specifically whether similar marches should be conducted in Australia. I am a part of a facebook group consisting mostly of Macedonian Australians and a majority of members have been calling for marches to be held in Australian cities in solidarity with our siblings in North America, as well as in the Republic. Would or is anyone here in a position to organise marches in their city (in Australia)?

[Karposh]

Obviously your intentions are well intended LoM but, with all due respect, I can't see much being achieved by marching through Australian cities and protesting about an internal Macedonian matter that would be better left to the "Mudrost" or "Reshitelnost" of the Macedonians in RoM. We can only hope they head down the latter path because we all know how much their "Mudrost" has achieved for Macedonia in the past.
When Macedonians were marching through the streets of Australian cities back in the late 80's and 90's, it was to highlight the plight of Macedonians in Greece and Bulgaria and to get recognition as Macedonians. We wanted to bring the issue to the Australian public at large and beyond, the world. I think we've done that.
My personal opinion is that a shit load of strongly worded letters addressed to the decision makers of Macedonia not to sellout the Macedonian people (yet again) would be a better path to take for the Macedonian diaspora rather than demonstrations.

[Liberator of Makedonija]

Obviously your intentions are well intended LoM but, with all due respect, I can't see much being achieved by marching through Australian cities and protesting about an internal Macedonian matter that would be better left to the "Mudrost" or "Reshitelnost" of the Macedonians in RoM. We can only hope they head down the latter path because we all know how much their "Mudrost" has achieved for Macedonia in the past.
When Macedonians were marching through the streets of Australian cities back in the late 80's and 90's, it was to highlight the plight of Macedonians in Greece and Bulgaria and to get recognition as Macedonians. We wanted to bring the issue to the Australian public at large and beyond, the world. I think we've done that.
My personal opinion is that a shit load of strongly worded letters addressed to the decision makers of Macedonia not to sellout the Macedonian people (yet again) would be a better path to take for the Macedonian diaspora rather than demonstrations.

It's not an internal conflict thought, it's foreign medelling in our affairs.

[vicsinad]

I can't take these protests seriously. The majority of people who are protesting are DPMNE supporters. The Albanian threat in Macedonia is no different today than that of 2 or 5 years ago. Why is this getting so much attention today, because the opposition was able to secure 67 seats in parliament? Do people seriously think that the division of Macedonia is imminent because Zaev will form a government with DUI? Do people seriously think that Albanian will become official in Strumica and Bitola and people will be fined for not knowing Albanian? I'm skeptical at what deal Zaev really made with the Albanians... If we look at Gruevski's reign from 2006, we will see dozens of Albanian statues being built in Skopje, Albanian signs being installed in places like the municipality of Centar where Albaians make up 5% of the population (I have documented all of this in the Albanization thread), etc. Yet these same people did not have a problem with the Gruevski-Ahmeti goverment, but now they have a problem with the Zaev-Ahmeti government? Where were all these people when the illegal UCK statue was unveiled in the middle of Skopje and Gruevski turned a blind eye? Now we're expected to believe that he is protecting Macedonia from Albanization?

This is well put.

[Niko777]

I can't take these protests seriously. The majority of people who are protesting are DPMNE supporters. The Albanian threat in Macedonia is no different today than that of 2 or 5 years ago. Why is this getting so much attention today, because the opposition was able to secure 67 seats in parliament? Do people seriously think that the division of Macedonia is imminent because Zaev will form a government with DUI? Do people seriously think that Albanian will become official in Strumica and Bitola and people will be fined for not knowing Albanian? I'm skeptical at what deal Zaev really made with the Albanians... If we look at Gruevski's reign from 2006, we will see dozens of Albanian statues being built in Skopje, Albanian signs being installed in places like the municipality of Centar where Albaians make up 5% of the population (I have documented all of this in the Albanization thread), etc. Yet these same people did not have a problem with the Gruevski-Ahmeti goverment, but now they have a problem with the Zaev-Ahmeti government? Where were all these people when the illegal UCK statue was unveiled in the middle of Skopje and Gruevski turned a blind eye? Now we're expected to believe that he is protecting Macedonia from Albanization?

My point is we already saw the country being Albanianzed under Gruevski's government, and Zaev will not be any different.

[Niko777]

One more thing I want to mention. Shame on those Macedonian Orthodox Churches in the diaspora who instead of becoming a center of the Christian faith have instead become local branches of the DPMNE party. Instead of focusing on spreading our faith to the younger Australian/Canadian/American born generation, they are focusing their attention on exploiting the Macedonian elderly on false nationalistic grounds for some short term partisan gain.

[Liberator of Makedonija]

I don't think highly of Gruevski at all but Zaev is has become a puppet of foreign agendas

[Dejan]

This could be an opportunity to tackle this shiptar problem head on though. Also it can finally unite the Macedonians in the Republic

[Stevce]

Dejan I agree with you. I also hope that a new political party is formed from the protestors. A real party for the Macedonian people.

[Liberator of Makedonija]

Dejan I agree with you. I also hope that a new political party is formed from the protestors. A real party for the Macedonian people.

We definantly need a new proper party, I never got around the Democratic Party.

[Gocka]

I don't think the protests in ROM can be generalized as just DPMNE supporters. This insinuates that these people are out there simply to support DPMNE but don't actually care about what is happening.

Most of these people really believe that the countries identity is under threat. If you look at video and images from the protests you will see a genuine patriotic movement.

Here is the problem though, these people are so brainwashed by political propaganda that they don't know that DPMNE already undertook the biggest Albanization of Macedonia to date. They really believe DPMNE is a patriotic political party, becasue they are ignorant. They are not just blindly following DPMNE because they want them to be in power, they really believe that they are standing up to the Albanians.

When DPMNE does pro Albanian things, it doesn't get covered, most people either don't know it happened or get a heavily altered view of reality through propaganda. SDSM recent actions are not only totally overt, but the propaganda machine is making sure everyone hears about it.

Macedonians lack a sense of perspective. Similar to how North Koreans have no idea what reality is like outside of their nightmare, we have a generation of Macedonians who don't know what it really means to be a patriot.

Think about it, how many Macedonians proudly wave the ventilator and feel patriotic doing it? They don't realize its an insult to themselves, and unpatriotic to do so. How many people, especially within the political class ever spoke out against the ventilator. Macedonians went straight from brainwashing communism, to this new brainwashing.

The desire to be patriotic is there, people care what happens to Macedonia. They just don't have the right role models and perspective to make the right decisions.

I am as hard as anyone on ROM Macedonians, but sometimes I feel bad for how ignorant and detached form reality they can be. Its not easy when you are bombarded form all sides with propaganda.

I encourage all of you to find youtube videos of interviews and the protests and you will see that their hearts are in the right place, but their brains are not.

[Liberator of Makedonija]

Well said Gocka.

[Niko777]

Here is the problem though, these people are so brainwashed by political propaganda that they don't know that DPMNE already undertook the biggest Albanization of Macedonia to date. They really believe DPMNE is a patriotic political party, becasue they are ignorant. They are not just blindly following DPMNE because they want them to be in power, they really believe that they are standing up to the Albanians.

I think a large number of these protesters are also employed or have family who are employed by the Gruevski government and feel they have to protest if they want to keep their jobs. Today it was revealed that school principals in Prilep who are affiliated with DPMNE were forcing students to protest and were making political statements in school.

[Niko777]

Here is the problem though, these people are so brainwashed by political propaganda that they don't know that DPMNE already undertook the biggest Albanization of Macedonia to date.

Biggest Albanization and biggest corruption to date.
I thought SDSM were corrupt... but DPMNE brought it to a whole new level.
Just look at what kind of materials they were using for all their "Patriotic" construction projects - styrofoam







Once they're built they are defective from the rain and water pours in



This is what Macedonians need to be protesting if they want to take control of their country back. But the media does not report this.

[Gocka]

I agree that there is certainly party employed protesters, and some that are under pressure to turn out. My point was that we tend to lump together the paid protesters with truly misled and ignorant people who think they are protecting Macedonia.

I think a large number of these protesters are also employed or have family who are employed by the Gruevski government and feel they have to protest if they want to keep their jobs. Today it was revealed that school principals in Prilep who are affiliated with DPMNE were forcing students to protest and were making political statements in school.