Macedonia: Border Police Sprays Tear Gas On Refugees

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The incident erupted on Wednesday as about 100 refugees attempted to take down the fence, which has been set up to keep them from entering Macedonia on their way to wealthier European countries.

However, the demonstrators swiftly pulled back when Greek riot police moved in and positioned themselves between the refugees and the fence.

The incident happened just a few hundred meters away from where Macedonian President Gjorge Ivanov was present to visit a refugee reception center with his Croatian and Slovenian counterparts.

Also on Sunday, Macedonian police used tear gas to disperse hundreds of refugees who were trying to break through the fence at the Greek border.

Nearly 300 refugees were wounded and reportedly treated in the field clinic of a medical charity group near the Idomeni crossing.

The violent clashes reportedly erupted after the crowd reacted to rumors that the border was about to open.

Reacting to the violence, the UN refugee agency on Monday strongly denounced the use of tear gas by Macedonian police against refugees.

Adrian Edwards, the spokesman for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), said in a statement that the use of tear gas by Macedonian police against refugees on the border with Greece tarnishes Europe’s image, adding, “People get hurt and property is damaged. Harm is done to perceptions of refugees and to Europe’s image alike. Everyone loses.”

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras also condemned the incident, saying that neighboring Macedonia had shamed the entire continent by using “tear gas and rubber bullets” to disperse hundreds of refugees at the Idomeni makeshift camp.

As part of an EU-Ankara deal, Greece has itself been deporting “irregular” refugees to Turkey since April 4.

Europe is facing an unprecedented influx of refugees, most of whom are fleeing conflict zones in Africa and the Middle East, particularly Syria.

There are about 11,000 people stranded at the Idomeni border crossing in northern Greece as neighboring Balkan countries have closed off entry points since mid-February.

Original article

Al Bawaba News

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One thought on “Macedonia: Border Police Sprays Tear Gas On Refugees

  • April 14, 2016 at 1:32 pm
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    Tsipras condemned the incident,saying that neighboring Macedonia had shamed the entire continent by using tear gas and rubber bulets to disperse hundreds of refugees at the Idomeni makeshift camp.Mr. Tsipras,if you had the guts to keep your borders securet,none of this would have happened.Your police force are encouraging these immigrants to cross the borders through none secured borders.Mr. Tsipras,you are the shame of the world for lying to Europe about your financial situations in order to join the Euro zobe.You are lying to the world about the existance of a Macedonian minority in Aegean Macedonian.You are lying that the Macedoniabs are Greek,you are lying that the Alexander the Macedonian is Greek.Mr.Tsipras,Macedonia exists for more than 4,000 years,your modern Greece exists since 1829.Your language exists since 1856-58.Ancient Athenians were Egyptian people,you are not what you are claiming to be.

    Mr. Tsipras,here is what one of the founding fathers of the USA said about your people;

    US WANTED MACEDONIA INDEPENDENT BACK IN 1783.

    “The Greeks of this day,although they are said to have imagination and ingenuity,are corrupted in their morals to such a degree,as to be faithless,perfidious race,destitute of courage,as well as of those principals of honor and virtue,without which nations can have no confidence in one another,noe be trusted by others “.Mr. Tsipras,you have misled your people during your last elections as have had your predecessors.Mr. Tsipras,The founding father of USA John Adams was right then and it is true today.Deal with it if you have any courage.

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