(Podgorica, 22 April 2012) – We congratulate protest organizers in Ulcinj and Bijelo Polje and citizens who’ve publicly called on the government to go, since their protests have demonstrated that from the north to the south Montenegro is awakening.
Every that used to be whispered in hushed tones was loudly proclaimed to the government’s face. Such acts require the type of bravery that was demonstrated by organizers and citizens today. For the first time in more than two decades, citizens in these two cities have loudly demanded the resignation of the government, not accepting compromises, half-baked solutions or charity. Today’s protests confirm that there are many of us who are not afraid to seek forgiveness and that this is only the beginning. They also show that citizens can organize themselves and revolt on their own, since the time has come for all of us to offer resistance.
The protests were attended by citizens belonging to all religious and nations, as well as all political parties, including those belonging to the ruling coalition. This is among the reasons, why in the lead up to these protests many had to face great pressures, a fear campaign and blackmail aimed at dissuading them from participating. The victory of Ulcinj and Bijelo Polje’s citizens is that much greater since we are dealing with small environments in which pressure is more acutely felt.
It is clear that the current system is in panic mode, since an increasing number of state and local functionaries and members of the ruling coalition are also daring to publicly express their unhappiness, knowing that the institutions that depend on their work are only acting in the interests of a few individuals.
We know that many have remained on the sidelines, observing the protests. Many were afraid to come, since for years they’ve been fed stories that things could be a lot worse and that they might lose the little that they do have. For this reasons we call on all those who attended the protests, as well as those who silently support them, to report any pressures or attempts to dissuade them from participating. The government knows that there is more of us, they cannot dismiss us all or buy us off and we don’t believe any longer in their false promises that we’ve been listening to for the past two decades.
Today we know that with every day there will be more of us, since the citizens of Ulcinj, Bijelo Polje and all other cities have shown that we can come out, that there’s nothing to be afraid of, that nothing hurts, that resistance is growing from the north to the south.
Today every citizen is proud for having taken on the responsibility to change the future of their kids and themselves. For this reason we expect the protests to spread to other towns and that the forthcoming protests in Podgorica will be even larger. The Prime Minister and his cabinet know that their bills are coming due and that it is time for accountability.
