Where the Changes Began
Over the past decade, civic movements have made tremendous changes in society. They were the voice of the public that resonated through the streets and on social media at a time when it was very difficult for citizens’ demands to be heard in the media. They started off in a grassroots, almost partisan way, often alone in their battles, and therefore were more easily suppressed by those in power. But as time went on, they grew louder and more massive, and those who joined them became bolder in their “I.” Protests were held against electricity, water, and heating price hikes, against police brutality, against the construction of a church on Skopje’s main square; student and high school plenums emerged; the “Protestiram” movement was created; the most massive one was the “Colourful Revolution”; and today the fight continues to stop mining operations in several municipalities across the country.
Author: Maja Jovanovska
This story was produced within the framework of the project “Reporting on Civil Society and Its Influence on Changes in Society”, implemented by the Macedonian Institute for Media in partnership with the Center for Investigative Journalism – SCOOP Macedonia, with financial support from the Civica Mobilitas program.
