Macedonia: .mk Twitter Republic · Global Voices
Filip Stojanovski

This post is part of our special coverage Macedonia Protests 2011.
Protests continue in Macedonia, as the authorities flatly refuse to even talk about the people's demands of accountability, political responsibility and an end to police brutality. On Sunday, a new symbol was displayed by some protesters: the Macedonian flag with a Twitter logo on it, homage to the role of the Twitter community.
Protest participants use the term “Twitter Republic” to relate to the “Krushevo Republic”, a short-lived democratic state formed during the 1903 Ilinden Uprising against the Ottoman Empire, whose government included representatives of all local ethnic groups and religions (a major difference from the soon-to-be-formed neighboring Balkan nation-states).
Macedonian flag with Twitter logo. Photo by Mite Kuzevski via IT.com.mk, used with permission
Viktor Arsovski of IT.com.mk informed [mk]:
It could be a bit idealistic, but it is very appropriate for the Twitter birdie to fly onto the Macedonian flag on the [14th day] of the protests against police brutality. It is appropriate because a 140-character-based social network was and is continuing to serve as the information-sharing tool about the protests, and connects the users into an .mk online community.
You can see for yourself by searching the hashtags #protestiram and #martin – almost all [active] Macedonian Twitter users are somehow involved in the protests, discussions about the incidents, and advocating higher standards for the police.
Protest gatherings resume daily at 6 p.m. in the center of Skopje, but are not always followed by a march.
A big event is planned for Saturday, June 25, titled “Let's Hug the Parliament” [mk]. The newly-elected Parliament is assembling for the first time, and the protesters plan to form a human chain around the building.
Poster: "Protest. Saturday at 10. 25.2011. In front of Mother Teresa. Then in front of the Parliament. We will submit an amendment by Martin Neshkovski (1989-2011)."
This post is part of our special coverage Macedonia Protests 2011.