Protests as Greek army seeks to stage manoeuvres amidst Macedonian minority

http://www.eurolang.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3104&Itemid=1&lang=en

Protests as Greek army seeks to stage manoeuvres amidst Macedonian minority
Belgrade, Tuesday, 14 October 2008 by Georgios N. Papadakis
Injuries, arrests and clashes between Macedonian minority inhabitants, the Greek army, and special police units, are continuing since yesterday afternoon in the village of Lofi/Zabrdeny in Northern Greece, next to the border with the Republic of Macedonia.


It all started when Greek army tanks and other armoured vehicles tried to move through the Macedonian village and reach an army taring site to practice heavy artillery fire. The inhabitants of Lofi/Zabrdeny, aided by people from the nearby villages of Meliti/Ovcharany, Vevi/Banica and Kelli/Gornichevo, blocked the road leading to the training site, demanding that no heavy artillery fire would take place and that the armed forces withdrew from the village. Instead, special police units arrived and tried by force to clear the road, arresting four people. Among them the President of the local Lofi/Zabrdeny municipal council, Kole Mitskopoulos.


Over the following hours more than 300 people from all the neighbouring villages came to the spot and demanded the immediate release of the arrested and the withdrawal of tanks and special police forces. Early this morning the four were released without charges and the inhabitants were promised that no heavy artillery practice would be performed.


“We were taken completely by surprise. Last week the army was also here but after the instant reaction of the people in Zabrdeny, they left promising that no tanks will show up. But they came to perform heavy artillery fire above our heads. We cannot allow this to happen, this is a severe health hazard, nobody knows what these missiles contain. Similar protests for the removal of army training sites happen all over Greece, but only here did we have this brutal intervention of the police. This is like a revival of the military dictatorship.” Said Kosta Tasevski, a Lofi/Zabrdeny inhabitant, to Eurolang.


The disputed army training site lies practically on the outskirts of Lofi/Zabrdeny, very close to houses and in the middle of private arable land. During army exercises over recent years, missiles have, accidentally, nearly hit the village while locals are not allowed for days to go to their properties. They are demanding the closure of the training site and the army has in the past promised that there would be no artillery fire.


The issue is set to be taken to the international level. Last week the Macedonian Prime Minister voiced concerns about the situation of the Macedonian minority in the region and urged Greece to withdraw its forces from the training site, situated next to the Greek-Macedonian border.


According to unofficial sources, the Macedonian government will send a protest note to Athens and Brussels later today. (Eurolang 2008)