loudtalks loudtalks – ad alta voce – glasno

Yesterday I was in jablanica a town on the road to mostar, with the mountains behind and alongside the neretva. Today I am in sarajevo, a city between the mountains and the source of the river bosna. In both too much bad politic which drown, pollute and confront their citizens with violence, power-abuse and lies.

sarajevo jablanica, between yesterday and today, a violent escalation. sarajevo jablanica between yesterday and today all the difference: on one side the protests of ordinary citizens, workers, men and women, betrayed and sold out by a conniver system, on the other side the rugged class of  distinguished ex-combatants with their privileges. A population of 109,000 people who have fought for one day or for the all war and for this reason has long-life guaranteed privileges and state contributions with monthly indemnity ranging from 150 to 1000 Euro.

So, yesterday in jablanica, I watched the umpteenth resultless protest of people left empty-handed by one more bankruptcy, one more transfer of property and all the subtleties of a sophisticated robbery. “Granit” management, is refugee “in Sarajevo to escape taxes and courts.

Today in Sarajevo, ex-combatants have attacked, smashed, torn, destroyed and conquered  yet another exception.

So the scenario is repeated. workers protest and their prize is few minutes on the news. Yesterday, not even that. Their protest, the last of a long series, by blocking the national road which connect sarajevo to mostar has created tensions and a long, long line of vehicle in a queue. Cars/buses/trucks were stopped from 9.00 to 13.00 and, as promised, riot squads arrived to make room for cars.

In sarajevo, the leaders of the 4 strongest associations of former combatants have left the violence exploding and conquer the street. They only had to leave people dissatisfaction to its own course and what had to happen has happened. They were in thousands, over 100 buses. But they were and are mostly a force used as a ram’s head to direct and gain the favors of the major nationalist parties.

The protest in jablanica ended immediately after the arrest of few protesters. An old known tactic that relies on protesters’ fear and ignorance about their own rights. As always, infallibly, protesters fear  and people passivity balance on police side so in jablanica protests ended with a flap, even do there were so many people watching more than those who were protesting on the bridge and far more than riot squad and other policemen.

Today, in Sarajevo, the balance has swung dangerously. Today the police fired tear gas and was beaten up. Today citizens had wittiness another demonstration of force. At stake, the whole electorate of former combatants, their families, friends and affiliates.

Violence,again,  too much violence … as we approaches May 1, which should be the day of our citizens, antifascist protest  a demonstration of civic resistance… Shall we make it?

The dance of power has begun, with tribal war paint. While an undecided civil society beat around the bush waiting and wasting energy around irrelevant distinctions. The real powers have launched their attack and have demonstrated their ability to destroy and to make a difference. A small group of ex-combatants, for a handful of money and social assistance, had sold much more than they get and a lot more than they deserves.

Whether they fought a day or the entire war does not give them the right to hold hostage all the citizens of their country. The toll paid to former combatants is the public order’s tax for the division of public goods  among political and criminal elites.

and this is just one of the days that must pass until october 4 ….