CIVIL condemns police violence

CIVIL – Center for Freedom  most strongly condemns the use of excessive force by the special police forces, which during yesterday’s protest of the Colorful Revolution violently prevented the right to protest to the thousands of protesters protesting against the new Eurobond and the huge debt of 650 million euros.

CIVIL reacted to last night’s violence, when special police units tried to “safeguard” the Ministry of Finance from their fellow citizens with smoke bombs and physical attacks on activists, among which was one of the more prominent Colorful Revolutionaries Pavle Bogoevski, and also with a water cannon that at one point was ready to be fired. Special police forces who were not busy beating protesters, were taking photos of participants in the protests!

The police forces did not even allow the people who live near the building of the Ministry to go home, and also obstructed the work of the journalists.

The use of force is nothing new and it is in direct conflict with the Constitution and the international laws that guarantee the right to protest. Such continuous police violence is unacceptable and extremely alarming!

Force was used also against the students who did not want to allow illegitimate elections of the President of the Student Parliament, activists were also violently arrested at the very beginning of the Colorful revolution protests, journalists were injured, and the list doesn’t stop here..

One thing is clear! The pressure and blackmail that is carried out against activists and the arrests and violent outbursts of the special police units will not stop the citizens in fighting for their human rights and freedoms.

Therefore, CIVIL once again strongly objects to the police violence used against the peaceful protestors, and would like to remind the police officers that they have a legal obligation of protecting the safety of the citizens, and that they should not beat them. We remind the police officers that they have the legal right not to obey unlawful commands.