In front of the Macedonian Government building in Skopje yesterday, numerous citizens gathered to protest against police brutality and the cover-up of violence by the state leadership itself.
The Croatian newspaper Telegram presented eight things that can help to understand what exactly happened at the protest in Macedonia.
1. Why was there a protest?
On the tapes released by the Union of Social Democrats (SDSM), the largest opposition party in Macedonia, a conversation between the highest state officials can be heard, from which it can be concluded that Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski tried to cover up the murder of the young man Martin Neskovski in 2011.
2. What did the protest look like?
Citizens started gathering in front of the Government building yesterday afternoon, where they protested against the cover-up and demanded the resignation of the Government.
They threw eggs at the government building, and several protesters tried to break through the police cordon and enter the government yard. Among them was Aleksandar Neškovski, the brother of the murdered Martin.
3. How did the police react?
After 22 p.m., the police managed to break up the demonstration with the use of force. In addition to water cannons, the police also used smoke bombs.
Protesters set several containers on fire. At least 19 people were injured, including a photographer and police officers. Among the injured were 15 policemen, the Ministry of Internal Affairs said, reports Hina. The police detained at least four people.
4. What happened to Martin Neškovski?
Martin was a supporter of the ruling party VMRO DPMNE. He was killed on June 5, 2011, at his party's victory celebration in the center of Skopje after the parliamentary elections.
He was brutally beaten by the policeman and member of the special unit, Igor Spasov, who was securing the gathering, and who was later sentenced to 14 years in prison for that murder. And then there were protests against police brutality in Skopje.
5. What does the opposition say?
SDSM President Zoran Zaev says that Prime Minister Gruevski knew everything about the murder of Martin Neskovski, who committed the murder and who covered it up.
"Nikola Gruevski knew that the structures in the Ministry of Police and its security covered up the entire event, they created information and inaccurate police records so that the whole truth would not be known," Zaev claims.
6. What is the Minister of Police talking about?
In the published recording, police minister Gordana Jankulovska can be heard confirming that the head of Prime Minister Gruevski's security hired a special agent, who later beat Neskovski to death. According to the opposition, based on these recordings, even though he was not his superior, he verbally ordered that special officer to secure the meeting of the VMRO DPMNE. "I'm nervous because in this case you can't hide it. You can't hide it. You have a murder, you have a dead man," Jankulovska can be heard saying on the video.
7. How is the Prime Minister trying to cover up the matter?
In the alleged conversation with the Minister of Police, Gruevski says that it must be said that Spasov was in private at the party celebration.
"No, you categorically tell them that he is not a member of the prime minister's security," Gruevski allegedly said. "No, I certainly won't," answers Jankulovska. "He works in the "Tigers" unit and that has nothing to do with the Prime Minister's security, and secondly – he was brought before the court and will probably be in custody by then," adds Gruevski.
8. What is the explanation for the murder?
The head of the prime minister's office, Martin Protuđer, asks in the video what the reason for the murder was.
"Look now, the reason for the murder. The one I told you about earlier. A little boy came to the Army House, he wanted to enter, they pushed him out because he was from the "Tigers" unit, from their gang there. Afterwards, he was once again "I saw him when he was leaving, when we were leaving the Home, and the child tripped, and he beat him. So, he didn't run away and didn't resist being handcuffed," Police Minister Jankulovska answered him.
Bonus video:
