Balkan watching (catch all)

[OUTLAW 09]

Another "colored revolt in the wind"????


High hopes for a peaceful protest today in #Skopje #protestiram, for now life going on as usual in the cafes ...

Macedonia protesters say to occupy streets until leader quits http://reut.rs/1KXoHTp via @Reuters 17 May

People are getting ready in #Skopje for protests against #Gruevski

Something really big is going to happen, check out video of massive happy crowd gathering on edge of #Skopje https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGNvsdPTGa8 …

Police is making ready for protests saying reports on the ground. 1,5 hour to go! pic.twitter.com/M4Bec4AlTT

Protesters hand out folders in Macedonian and Albania. "Don't use violence against police, no stones or weapons" pic.twitter.com/yDFtszqoEb

Carl Bildt ✔ @carlbildt
I believe the demonstration in Skopje today will be peaceful and impressive. Key is what happens afterwards. http://balkanist.net/op-ed-countdown-gruevski/ …

Today #Macedonia unites across political, ethnic, religious borders to protest for democracy, independent judiciary, free speech...(

[OUTLAW 09]

Russian plans for disrupting the EU and the US in the Balkans are progressing nicely.

Support for Serbia's EU membership fell from 56.4 to 41.1 percent - survey http://inserbia.info/today/2015/05/s...-1-pct-survey/ … via @InSerbiaNetwork 17 May

[OUTLAW 09]

To all those saying Albanians are fighting for greater Albania. Here you go: pic.twitter.com/jlRVvgD2FO

The more #Gruesvki try to divide #Macedonia the more people gather to ask for his resignation ! https://twitter.com/olimp7/status/599905474927063040 …

Not even 2pm and thousands filling Skopje streets. Amazing atmo. Albanians, Macedonians together. Even Turkish and Roma flags
Crowd dancing and a playful waterfight has broken out in the midday heat

#Skopje (via @BabaMiRada) pic.twitter.com/YizztBpshO

For every riot cop in front of govt there are approx 5 red shirt volunteer protest marshals between them and crowd

[davidbfpo]

A comprehensive report on the peaceful demo in Skopje now:

Huge crowds (est. 40k) joined a major anti-government rally in Skopje, demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski amid a political crisis sparked by a mass surveillance scandal.

Not spotted this before. Does this mean the government will falter, if not fall:

wo days after calling the police action in Kumanovo a success, Interior Minister Gordana Jankuloska, the chief of the secret police, Saso Mijalkov, as well as the Transportation Minister, Mile Janakieski - all heavily implicated in the illegal surveillance scandal - resigned.

Link:http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/arti...rnment-protest

[OUTLAW 09]

Protesters rally in Moldova to back reunification with Romania, say no to Russian pressurehttp://www.neurope.eu/ap_feed/protes...sian-pressure/ …

Not a single incident at the protests in #Skopje! That is already good step forward for Balkan, hopefully an inspiration for upcoming ones.

[OUTLAW 09]

EU sources: EU is putting indirect pressure on #Gruevski to resign. Upcoming visit of Gruevski in Brussels this week.

[davidbfpo]

A short background article, which reminds us macedonia has to date avoided the communal bloodshed so vividly seen in the region:https://securitydilemmas.wordpress.c...arious-moment/

[OUTLAW 09]

Prepping for another "hybrid" intervention? Russia accuses west of stirring revolution in Macedonia: http://on.ft.com/1HnSqEw #FTcticaltech.org/digitalinvestigation …

As I've been telling you, Balkan instability, even war, very much serves Kremlin interests, folks. Get ready. http://www.bloombergview.com/article...ia-battlefield …

Gosh, if only somebody had warned everybody about this....Russia Gets Paranoid About Macedonia http://www.the-american-interest.com...out-macedonia/ …