Hundreds at a Protest Music Gathering in "Defense of MKC"

Photo: SkopjeIN

Skopje, January 22 — Hundreds of citizens gathered today on the plateau in front of the Youth Cultural Center (MKC) in Skopje, where a protest musical gathering "in defense of MKC" was held, organized by the "Gola Planina" collective.

The collective announced the event, at which numerous artists performed today, after the program collegium of the center previously announced that MKC is "again a target of party megdan", after the current director, with more than 36 years in the institution, was changed, and a new director, employed only a few days before, came in his place.

"Despite the recognition that came as the crown of our work with the 'November 13' award for merits in the field of culture and mass attendance, perhaps the largest in the history of the institution on the occasion of the 50th anniversary, the year began with bad news for the future of MKC. The first is that our budget has been reduced to only 8% of the annual budget with which we worked in the past years, and immediately after that, the latest developments in the way of installing a director in MKC", the program collegium pointed out.

Such a decision caused outrage, so the initial post by MKC immediately went viral on the Facebook and Instagram platforms. Visitors to the cultural institution demanded a protest through social networks, saying that the center must not be politicized.

The organizers of the event "Gola Planina" collective previously pointed out that it’s a shame to cut the budget of the center by 92%, but also that it is a shame "the forced politicization of one of the most legitimate and working cultural institutions in Macedonia".

"'Gola Planina' is not a political party, it is not politically determined and has no connection with any of the political parties. We are a musical collective and our goal is not anti-someone, our goal is the building and preservation of the conditions, whatever they are, for the musical and stage activity, and the culture as a whole. But in such situations, 'Gola Planina' will not remain silent and will not let another cultural temple go into oblivion in the hands of the corrupt and tyrannical system. We are not politics, we are culture, we are youth and rebelliousness, we are the opponents of 'there is nothing in Macedonia', we are voice and energy, we are the new wave and the new generation", "Gola Planina" collective added.

MKC is one of the most active cultural institutions in the city, which recently celebrated its 50th anniversary.