For a short time there was a stalemate in front of the Macedonian club in Blagoevgrad, which opens today. The residents of the city met with the president of the opposition VMRO-DPMNE party Hristiyan Mitkoski in front of the club shouting “traitor, garbage!” and “Macedonia is Bulgarian!”, as well as “Serbia pays you!”.
This happened right after the club opened, when guests marched past the Dimitar Blagoev monument to lay their wreaths.
Greek pop priest Nikodin inaugurated the Macedonian cultural club “Nikola Vaptsarov” in Blagoevgrad.
There are the chief secretary of the president of North Macedonia – Mile Bosniakovski, the president of the opposition party VMRO-DPMNE Hristiyan Mickoski, the leader of the far left Dimirot Apasi, as well as deputies of the Albanian parliament who declare themselves representatives of the Macedonians in Bulgaria.
Already hours ago the VMROs began to gather for their protest near the Gotse Delchev monument in Blagoevgrad.
The party installed loudspeakers in front of the cultural club and played highly patriotic songs that filled the entire street. The North Macedonians demanded that the music be turned down. To avoid a collision, the police were around the loudspeakers.
The loud music continued to play, so everyone gathered in the club room and the police presence continued to be heavy.
There is also Nikola Vaptsarov’s grandson Nikola. He is outraged that his uncle’s name is being used in this way and will explain to the Macedonian media that Nikola Vaptsarov is Bulgarian.
For this reason, tensions and clashes in the city are expected since yesterday. Already in the morning there was an increase in police presence on the spot, and Bulgarian tribagrenitsi hung many people from their balconies in the neighboring blocks.
There are currently around 100 policemen outside the club, which is expected to open at 12 noon.
According to VMRO, the private initiative called “Macedonian cultural club” is another anti-Bulgarian provocation by politicians in Skopje. VMRO recalls that, according to the Constitution, Bulgaria is a uninational state and in the Prespa Agreement it is written that in our country there is no Macedonian minority.
The president of VMRO-DPMNE Hristiyan Mitskoski will attend the opening of the Blagoevgrad club tomorrow with a delegation from his party, representatives of the other Left opposition party. After announcing that he did not have an invitation to the event and therefore would not go, the organizers sent an invitation to President Stevo Pendarovski, but the general secretary of Pendarovski’s office, Mile Bosniakovski, will be present at the event. Prime Minister Dimitar Kovachevski and Buyar Osmani said they will not participate and there will be no SDSM representative in power.
