MASSO is denied the right to the freedom of assembly
01/10/2007
Submitted by
Maxim Anmeghichean
Dear all,
This year’s Queer Square, has unfortunately been left without a square.
Suzana Mileva, festival curator has written “ The square has always represented a public space where beginning with the Greek agora up to Tiananmen square, public opinion, freedom of speech and freedom in general has been shaped and made into an issue. Stemming from this, the square becomes the main concept at the center of this year’s Queer Square Festival in Skopje…”
Apart from a number of art events, the pivotal square event was to be the Love is Love party at the square in front of the Army Club. However the pinnacle of this event will not take place at a square. Here is the time frame of the events which unfolded:
The beginning of July we inquired with Center Municipality about the availability of the square in front of the Army Club at the end of September or the beginning of October. As this upcoming weekend was reserved for the Week of Honey, we were told that the weekend of October 6-7th was free. Thus on July 18th we submitted a request for a permit to set up a stage, lighting and sound coverage at the square in front of the Army Club where we had envisaged to hold the Love is Love party with Macedonian Djs Sonja Ismail, DJ Stojan, Fluid and Robotek with world-renown DJ Marco Lenzi from London as the star of the evening.
After we had not received a reply for an entire month from Center Municipality we called to inquire about our request for a permit and whether we should start making other arrangements. We were told by the Municipality that this should not be an issue as the square was to be free that weekend and that we were only missing some technical details (stage dimensions…) Together with employees from the company from which we were to rent the stage, we measured the square and we drafted the concept of the stage and submitted the data to Center Municipality. We tried on a number of occasions to obtain information as to what was happening with our request, however no one was able to tell us.
All of these months, we were unable to schedule a single meeting with the Mayor and President of the Council of the Municipality as they were out of town on business the entire time. Finally on September 24th we received a brief letter informing us that we were not allowed to hold the planned event due to “ a prior engagement of the desired space with other content ” There was no explanation as to what the “other content” was and how this was possible as we had been liaisoning with them and with and the location was free. After the reaction on behalf of Ognena Pop-Andonova MASSO’s PR, the secretary of the municipality “slipped up” and told us that the event was to be held by BORKA – an association which works to promote the struggle against cancer.
The same evening we made contact with BORKA and the following day we came to an agreement for them to hold their event, dismantle their equipment by 6PM so that we would be free to hold our Love is Love party. “Armed” with these new developments we went to the offices of Center Municipality, as we could not schedule a meeting with the mayor. We arrived at their offices at the same time when the Mayor was coming to work. Without much introduction, she knew who we were and why we had come there. Without allowing us to pose our questions, she told us that she knew why we had come there, and informed us that they had denied our request because another association had requested and had the space approved before we had. When I confronted her that she was lying and that we had already contacted BORKA and that they told us that they had only been registered for a month, and that our request had been submitted two months ago, she said that they deemed that the fight against cancer was more important than our activities. After Ognena explained that we had already contacted BORKA and that they had agreed to help us and hold both events, the mayor told us that we were not morally suitable to hold a joint event with such a serious association (BORKA) at the same place and on the same day. After we asked the mayor who had given her the right to judge whether or not we are morally suited, she informed us that we were not morally suited due to the proximity of Mother Theresa’s monument, a religious monument where people lay flowers…?!
We will send you a letter of protest which we expect to be signed by the organizations and individuals who believe and fight for the same values and principles. Also, we expect both international and Macedonian organization to send their own letters of protest to Center Municipality, the Mayor of Center Municipality and the President of the Council of Center Municipality.
Post address: Ul. Mihail Cokov bb 1000 Skopje
e-mail: gradonacalnik@opstinacentar.gov.mk
We will hold a press conference on Monday, October 1st at the NGO Info Center and I would like to ask of those organizations which can and would like to show their support to send their representatives to the press conference.
Currently, we are gathering the necessary paperwork in order to file a motion with the Constitutional Court and with the legal courts. We believe we can base our case on the following:
(Hindering or obstructing a public gathering Article 155 (1). Those individuals who by force or serious threat, deception or by any other means will attempt to hinder or obstruct the holding of a peaceful public gathering, shall be fined or imprisoned for the duration of three months to three years.)
Perhaps it is better to base this on the obstruction to carry out our mandate as an organization. Regardless, the entire paper work must be analyzed and it is only after this that we will be able to decide on our future actions. All suggestions and help are also welcomed.
I hope that you will react promptly and that you will show your support. I also hope to see you at the festival. We hope that you have all received the invitations for the festival, and you will be receiving the program of events shortly.
Cordially,
Kocho Andonovski, President
Macedonian Association for Free Sexual Orientation - MASSO
Dame Gruev 5/7-2 Skopje, Republic of Macedonia
tel/fax: +389 (2) 32 111 26; cell: +389 (0)70 343 558;
www.masso.org.mk
This year’s Queer Square, has unfortunately been left without a square.
Suzana Mileva, festival curator has written “ The square has always represented a public space where beginning with the Greek agora up to Tiananmen square, public opinion, freedom of speech and freedom in general has been shaped and made into an issue. Stemming from this, the square becomes the main concept at the center of this year’s Queer Square Festival in Skopje…”
Apart from a number of art events, the pivotal square event was to be the Love is Love party at the square in front of the Army Club. However the pinnacle of this event will not take place at a square. Here is the time frame of the events which unfolded:
The beginning of July we inquired with Center Municipality about the availability of the square in front of the Army Club at the end of September or the beginning of October. As this upcoming weekend was reserved for the Week of Honey, we were told that the weekend of October 6-7th was free. Thus on July 18th we submitted a request for a permit to set up a stage, lighting and sound coverage at the square in front of the Army Club where we had envisaged to hold the Love is Love party with Macedonian Djs Sonja Ismail, DJ Stojan, Fluid and Robotek with world-renown DJ Marco Lenzi from London as the star of the evening.
After we had not received a reply for an entire month from Center Municipality we called to inquire about our request for a permit and whether we should start making other arrangements. We were told by the Municipality that this should not be an issue as the square was to be free that weekend and that we were only missing some technical details (stage dimensions…) Together with employees from the company from which we were to rent the stage, we measured the square and we drafted the concept of the stage and submitted the data to Center Municipality. We tried on a number of occasions to obtain information as to what was happening with our request, however no one was able to tell us.
All of these months, we were unable to schedule a single meeting with the Mayor and President of the Council of the Municipality as they were out of town on business the entire time. Finally on September 24th we received a brief letter informing us that we were not allowed to hold the planned event due to “ a prior engagement of the desired space with other content ” There was no explanation as to what the “other content” was and how this was possible as we had been liaisoning with them and with and the location was free. After the reaction on behalf of Ognena Pop-Andonova MASSO’s PR, the secretary of the municipality “slipped up” and told us that the event was to be held by BORKA – an association which works to promote the struggle against cancer.
The same evening we made contact with BORKA and the following day we came to an agreement for them to hold their event, dismantle their equipment by 6PM so that we would be free to hold our Love is Love party. “Armed” with these new developments we went to the offices of Center Municipality, as we could not schedule a meeting with the mayor. We arrived at their offices at the same time when the Mayor was coming to work. Without much introduction, she knew who we were and why we had come there. Without allowing us to pose our questions, she told us that she knew why we had come there, and informed us that they had denied our request because another association had requested and had the space approved before we had. When I confronted her that she was lying and that we had already contacted BORKA and that they told us that they had only been registered for a month, and that our request had been submitted two months ago, she said that they deemed that the fight against cancer was more important than our activities. After Ognena explained that we had already contacted BORKA and that they had agreed to help us and hold both events, the mayor told us that we were not morally suitable to hold a joint event with such a serious association (BORKA) at the same place and on the same day. After we asked the mayor who had given her the right to judge whether or not we are morally suited, she informed us that we were not morally suited due to the proximity of Mother Theresa’s monument, a religious monument where people lay flowers…?!
We will send you a letter of protest which we expect to be signed by the organizations and individuals who believe and fight for the same values and principles. Also, we expect both international and Macedonian organization to send their own letters of protest to Center Municipality, the Mayor of Center Municipality and the President of the Council of Center Municipality.
Post address: Ul. Mihail Cokov bb 1000 Skopje
e-mail: gradonacalnik@opstinacentar.gov.mk
We will hold a press conference on Monday, October 1st at the NGO Info Center and I would like to ask of those organizations which can and would like to show their support to send their representatives to the press conference.
Currently, we are gathering the necessary paperwork in order to file a motion with the Constitutional Court and with the legal courts. We believe we can base our case on the following:
(Hindering or obstructing a public gathering Article 155 (1). Those individuals who by force or serious threat, deception or by any other means will attempt to hinder or obstruct the holding of a peaceful public gathering, shall be fined or imprisoned for the duration of three months to three years.)
Perhaps it is better to base this on the obstruction to carry out our mandate as an organization. Regardless, the entire paper work must be analyzed and it is only after this that we will be able to decide on our future actions. All suggestions and help are also welcomed.
I hope that you will react promptly and that you will show your support. I also hope to see you at the festival. We hope that you have all received the invitations for the festival, and you will be receiving the program of events shortly.
Cordially,
Kocho Andonovski, President
Macedonian Association for Free Sexual Orientation - MASSO
Dame Gruev 5/7-2 Skopje, Republic of Macedonia
tel/fax: +389 (2) 32 111 26; cell: +389 (0)70 343 558;
www.masso.org.mk
