Representatives of the Macedonian embassy in Sofia also paid their respects to Sandanski. Biljana Tasevska, an official from the Embassy, laid a wreath with a sign saying: "On behalf of the Macedonian people we wish to pay respect to one of the greatest Macedonian sons and to thank him for everything he did."
Several hundreds of members and supporters of OMO "Ilinden Pirin" from several towns in Bulgaria arrived yesterday in front of Rozenski Monastery. They held a "private" commemoration, since the mayor of the Sandanski town forbade them to hold the manifestation as a political party.
"We have gathered on this holy day to commemorate 85 years since the death of Jane Sandanski, a warrior and emperor of Pirin, one of the greatest men in the history of Balkan peoples. We are paying our respects to the man who viewed life as struggle for self-liberation and for perfection. Without him history would be endlessly empty and ordinary.
"We do not have European holidays in our history. History of our people is history of struggle and sacrifices. Our history includes the names of Dame, Goce, Pitu, Cento and uncountable heroes that we shall preserve as something holy, as something for which a man is born and prepared to sacrifice himself," said the president of OMO "Ilinden Pirin", Ivan Singartiski.
After the speech by Singartiski, members of OMO "Ilinden Pirin" covered with flowers the Bulgarian flag that had been laid on the grave of Jane Sandanski.
A bus with supporters from Macedonia also arrived to the commemoration in organization of the weekly "Makedonsko Sonce" [Macedonian Sun].
The manifestation went on under strict control of the Bulgarian policemen, dressed both in uniforms and in civilian clothing. Police patrols checked and searched vehicles of members of OMO "Ilinden Pirin" on several checkpoints. Yesterday, none of the participants was sent back, but the Bulgarian authorities were removing from wreaths ribbons on which people paid their respects to Jane.
Members of the now banned political party in Bulgaria also held a celebration at which Macedonian songs dedicated to the emperor of Pirin were sung. Choirs singing the song "Edno ime imame" [we have one name] could be heard joined by the crowd while singing: "We are neither Serbs, nor Bulgarians, nor Greeks..." Two days ago, the Police did not allow that photographs of the grave of Sandanski be taken, but yesterday it gave in to the pressure of the citizens (or perhaps followed the instructions issued by the authorities). Two days ago the Police confiscated wreaths carried by members of Jordan Kostadinov's OMO "Ilinden". Video-equipment was taken from the team of TV Sitel. The musicians who were supposed to play at the commemoration were also sent back. Supporters of VMRO-Independent, had to hand over to the Police a sign and a portrait of Jane Sandanski. Jordan Kostadinov said that Sandanski's grave is a holy place for the Macedonians. "It is time that the Bulgarian authorities realized that there are Macedonians in Bulgaria and stopped trying to assimilate them," said Kostadinov.
Two organizations held separate commemorations since they failed to agree to mark Sandanski's day together.
In its yesterday's issue, daily 24 Casa [24 hours] in an article headlined "representative of Skopje extends a hand to OMO" gives special treatment to the statement of the representative of our embassy Biljana Tasevska. The daily also quoted the statement of a representative of the Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ratko Vlajkov: "Presence of a diplomat and anti-state statements are not tolerated anywhere in the world."