The Granite Revolution, an overwiev of the Slovene uprising

Betonov · 12-06-12, 02:05 PM

If you read the GT of GT, or commonly known as the Comment thread, you'd realise that my country is in interesting times. Unusual for a peacefull nation, so politicaly apathic that presidential elections receive less media time than gasoline price change.
But we were a rebelius mob. The peasant uprisings in the mediavel ages caused more damage to Germanic aristocracy rulling our lands than the Ottoman invasion. And when you try to mess with a nation, that managed to occupy German divisions in 1940's while still fighting with itself, a nation that is getting hungrier, you should build big walls.

THE PROLOGUE: Nothing here to talk about. Rich getting richer, poor getting poorer. Connection apointments, corruption, bribes, flashing around with ill-gotten wealth and escaping the justice system with petty fines at best.... I'm not going to write about it. The same as your county.

THE BONFIRE OF SPEED CAMERAS: As with all major occurances in history, this one is also caused by something so petty and unexpected, one wonders how all of this didn't start before.
It all started in Maribor. Our second largest city. Maribor is the capital of the region known as Stajerska and the inhabitants are known to be hotheaded. So no suprises there.
Maribors mayor, Franc Kangler, is the embodiement of the rulling political elite. Corruption, intimidation, abuse of status and other mobb tactics were known too wellfor him. When asked how he managed to aquire €150.000, he simply replied: I sold the hay I dried on my property. Mocking the people skill level: infinity.

Franc Kangler

On this september, Kangler anounced he contracted a private firm to set up speed monitor radars and cameras around maribor. 30 of them. The thing that set of the flames was the fact, that fines from speeders were collected by the company and not the municipality. Within days the first radar was set on fire. And the next day another one and another. Within a week 9 of them were destroyed.

The famous speed camera, most proabibly on the wasteyard at this moment

And here's a footage how you deal with one of them with a Clio

GOTOF JE: roughly translated from the loacl dialect: he's done. Quickly became the motto of the uprising anywhere. November 2nd was the first uprising. Only ~50 people protested and little was done about it. It was only the kindle. Facebook provided the spark.
The second Maribor uprising occured november 26th and it was organised by FB groups. Between 400 and 600 people came to protest peacefully. A group of individuals came with the protesters came with the protesters intent to cause trouble. A riot occured and the police, not used to such large protests atacked some peacefull protesters. A blunder the nation forgave.
Mayor Kangler refused to abdicate. He chose to go on vacation to think it over.

THE STREET DIDN'T HAPPENED, THE NATION DID: the next day a support for Maribor protest manifested in Ljubljana, the nations capital. 10.000 people came. The protests were peacefull at first. People layed flowers in front of the riot police squads and the officers even accepted the flowers personaly. There was a general empathy with the police. They were seen as just another citizen just doing their job for an ever shrinking wage.

The street dind't happend, the nation did

But as in Maribor one day before, rioters quickly came. Fighting broke out, the peacefull protesters dispersed to avoid the fighting and cobblestone were flying into the police lines. The granite revolution began.
After hours of fighting the country never before seen, the water canon being used for the first time in nations history, the city looked like a warzone. Everyone wondered if the riots we've seen in London this year might occur here.

A NEW REALITY SHOW, SLOVENIA HAS GUTS: All cities followed. Small scale compared but our cities are towns compared to the US. Everywhere people went out and shouted anti-goverment slogans. Icelandic velvet revolution was set as an example. Apart from localized hooligans the protests were peacefull.
Something new was in the air. People decided not to watch a new reality show currently airing very evening and went to the streets. Just like our grandfathers in 1942, the cold of winter 2012 didn't stop us.

HOT AIR FROM TIMES LONG GONE: The goverments response was expected. Typical mumbo jumbo about internal enemies, a minor reminder of the communist upbringing of our current ''leaders''. Our PM Jansa made an expected speech about some individuals trying to set the country on fire for their own political gains. Just as he had years earlier while he was the leader of the opposition. The speech convinced only his flock.
The truth is, there is no one man, organization or movement with enough influence to bring so many people out in the streets. We just don't give a damn. We just want these commie partisan dinosaurs out. Even if there are certain individuals behind it, the mass effect will turn against them too.

Jansa go home

ONE DOES NOT SIMPLY WALK INTO MARIBOR (Herr-Berbunch): December 3rd, the third Maribor uprising was a feat of organisation I'd never expect from this country. 15.000 people in a city of 95.000. A million of Londoners would have to protest to achieve the same ratio.
The protests started the same as always. People chanting GOTOF JE !!! and giving flowers to the police until the rioters arrive. But they were also better prepared. Homemade ''grenades'', incendiary devices and (trademark) cobblestone were flying against the police. Protesters actually worked with the police against the rioters, but they were too many. Maribor was a warzone. There was something in the air and it wasn't love. Smelled of tear gas (maybe it was love). The town hall was riddled and set on fire (put out quickly) and the surrounding streets received for more than €30.000 damage. The biggest riot since the peasant uprisings of the 15th century.

The hooligans armory, an old town street

December third was also a protest day all around Slovenia. But apart from Maribor, it was peacefull. Even in Ljubljana.

Betonov · 12-06-12, 02:09 PM

Why did I chose to write this today ??

Franc Kangler abdicated today !!!! ONE DOWN, MORE TO COME !!!! GOTOVI SO

Jimbuna · 12-06-12, 03:17 PM

Most interesting, keep it coming

Love the way the Clio sorted out the speed camera

Oberon · 12-06-12, 03:26 PM

Is there anyone in mind that the protesters want to replace Kangler or even Jansa with?

Jimbuna · 12-06-12, 03:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oberon

Is there anyone in mind that the protesters want to replace Kangler or even Jansa with?

Betonov

Betonov · 12-06-12, 03:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oberon

Is there anyone in mind that the protesters want to replace Kangler or even Jansa with?

It's not so much replacing someone, it's bringing in fresh faces and forcing the goverment to enforce laws on their own, reforming the justice system to prevent people from avoiding punishment by waiting the 5 year period when outstanding offences become outdated, forbiding MP status to people with interests in private firms, stop being an obidient dog to Brussels...

To quote one of the citizens: it's not a revolution, it's evolution

NEWS OF THE DAY: Koper and Kranj protested today.

Kranj was peacefull and it was more of a flash mob tha a protest

While Koper turned into a riot. Nothing compared to the third Maribor uprising, some property damage, town hall received some homemade firecrackers and a police car had the rear window shattered.

Herr-Berbunch · 12-06-12, 04:45 PM

Well written, interesting piece, and thanks for the recognition.

Betonov · 12-06-12, 04:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Herr-Berbunch

Well written, interesting piece, and thanks for the recognition.

Credit where credit is due

12-06-12, 02:05 PM	#1
Betonov Navy Seal Join Date: May 2009 Location: Slovenia Posts: 8,647 Downloads: 26 Uploads: 0	The Granite Revolution, an overwiev of the Slovene uprising If you read the GT of GT, or commonly known as the Comment thread, you'd realise that my country is in interesting times. Unusual for a peacefull nation, so politicaly apathic that presidential elections receive less media time than gasoline price change. But we were a rebelius mob. The peasant uprisings in the mediavel ages caused more damage to Germanic aristocracy rulling our lands than the Ottoman invasion. And when you try to mess with a nation, that managed to occupy German divisions in 1940's while still fighting with itself, a nation that is getting hungrier, you should build big walls. THE PROLOGUE: Nothing here to talk about. Rich getting richer, poor getting poorer. Connection apointments, corruption, bribes, flashing around with ill-gotten wealth and escaping the justice system with petty fines at best.... I'm not going to write about it. The same as your county. THE BONFIRE OF SPEED CAMERAS: As with all major occurances in history, this one is also caused by something so petty and unexpected, one wonders how all of this didn't start before. It all started in Maribor. Our second largest city. Maribor is the capital of the region known as Stajerska and the inhabitants are known to be hotheaded. So no suprises there. Maribors mayor, Franc Kangler, is the embodiement of the rulling political elite. Corruption, intimidation, abuse of status and other mobb tactics were known too wellfor him. When asked how he managed to aquire €150.000, he simply replied: I sold the hay I dried on my property. Mocking the people skill level: infinity. Franc Kangler On this september, Kangler anounced he contracted a private firm to set up speed monitor radars and cameras around maribor. 30 of them. The thing that set of the flames was the fact, that fines from speeders were collected by the company and not the municipality. Within days the first radar was set on fire. And the next day another one and another. Within a week 9 of them were destroyed. The famous speed camera, most proabibly on the wasteyard at this moment And here's a footage how you deal with one of them with a Clio GOTOF JE: roughly translated from the loacl dialect: he's done. Quickly became the motto of the uprising anywhere. November 2nd was the first uprising. Only ~50 people protested and little was done about it. It was only the kindle. Facebook provided the spark. The second Maribor uprising occured november 26th and it was organised by FB groups. Between 400 and 600 people came to protest peacefully. A group of individuals came with the protesters came with the protesters intent to cause trouble. A riot occured and the police, not used to such large protests atacked some peacefull protesters. A blunder the nation forgave. Mayor Kangler refused to abdicate. He chose to go on vacation to think it over. THE STREET DIDN'T HAPPENED, THE NATION DID: the next day a support for Maribor protest manifested in Ljubljana, the nations capital. 10.000 people came. The protests were peacefull at first. People layed flowers in front of the riot police squads and the officers even accepted the flowers personaly. There was a general empathy with the police. They were seen as just another citizen just doing their job for an ever shrinking wage. The street dind't happend, the nation did But as in Maribor one day before, rioters quickly came. Fighting broke out, the peacefull protesters dispersed to avoid the fighting and cobblestone were flying into the police lines. The granite revolution began. After hours of fighting the country never before seen, the water canon being used for the first time in nations history, the city looked like a warzone. Everyone wondered if the riots we've seen in London this year might occur here. A NEW REALITY SHOW, SLOVENIA HAS GUTS: All cities followed. Small scale compared but our cities are towns compared to the US. Everywhere people went out and shouted anti-goverment slogans. Icelandic velvet revolution was set as an example. Apart from localized hooligans the protests were peacefull. Something new was in the air. People decided not to watch a new reality show currently airing very evening and went to the streets. Just like our grandfathers in 1942, the cold of winter 2012 didn't stop us. HOT AIR FROM TIMES LONG GONE: The goverments response was expected. Typical mumbo jumbo about internal enemies, a minor reminder of the communist upbringing of our current ''leaders''. Our PM Jansa made an expected speech about some individuals trying to set the country on fire for their own political gains. Just as he had years earlier while he was the leader of the opposition. The speech convinced only his flock. The truth is, there is no one man, organization or movement with enough influence to bring so many people out in the streets. We just don't give a damn. We just want these commie partisan dinosaurs out. Even if there are certain individuals behind it, the mass effect will turn against them too. Jansa go home ONE DOES NOT SIMPLY WALK INTO MARIBOR (Herr-Berbunch): December 3rd, the third Maribor uprising was a feat of organisation I'd never expect from this country. 15.000 people in a city of 95.000. A million of Londoners would have to protest to achieve the same ratio. The protests started the same as always. People chanting GOTOF JE !!! and giving flowers to the police until the rioters arrive. But they were also better prepared. Homemade ''grenades'', incendiary devices and (trademark) cobblestone were flying against the police. Protesters actually worked with the police against the rioters, but they were too many. Maribor was a warzone. There was something in the air and it wasn't love. Smelled of tear gas (maybe it was love). The town hall was riddled and set on fire (put out quickly) and the surrounding streets received for more than €30.000 damage. The biggest riot since the peasant uprisings of the 15th century. The hooligans armory, an old town street December third was also a protest day all around Slovenia. But apart from Maribor, it was peacefull. Even in Ljubljana.

12-06-12, 03:17 PM	#3
Jimbuna Chief of the Boat Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: 250 metres below the surface Posts: 190,500 Downloads: 63 Uploads: 13	Most interesting, keep it coming Love the way the Clio sorted out the speed camera __________________ Wise men speak because they have something to say; Fools because they have to say something. Oh my God, not again!!

12-06-12, 04:45 PM	#7
Herr-Berbunch Kaiser Bill's batman Join Date: May 2010 Location: AN72 Posts: 13,203 Downloads: 76 Uploads: 0	Well written, interesting piece, and thanks for the recognition. __________________

12-06-12, 02:09 PM	#2
Betonov Navy Seal Join Date: May 2009 Location: Slovenia Posts: 8,647 Downloads: 26 Uploads: 0	Why did I chose to write this today ?? Franc Kangler abdicated today !!!! ONE DOWN, MORE TO COME !!!! GOTOVI SO

12-06-12, 03:26 PM	#4
Oberon Lucky Jack Join Date: Jul 2002 Posts: 25,976 Downloads: 61 Uploads: 20	Is there anyone in mind that the protesters want to replace Kangler or even Jansa with?