When you think of protests against police brutality, you think of blokes lobbing things and fighting and smashing windows. Even some of the more pacifist movements for people to rise up against oppression have seen women and their goals pushed to the back in the name of progress. But one woman showed how to laugh in the face of policemen’s riot gear, in Skopje, Macedonia.
What’s going on? More than a thousand have taken to the streets to protest the alleged cover-up of a police murder of 22-year-old Martin Neskoski in 2011. He had been celebrating the election win of prime minister Nikola Gruevski when he was attacked by the police, and died.
Fastforward to 2015 - Zoran Zaev, has released recordings, which he claims prove that the prime minister and other officials discussed how best to cover up the murder. Government officials say the claims are ‘absurd’ and said that there is already a member of the prime minister’s security detail serving 14 years in prison after being convicted of the murders, reports Mashable.
So people aren’t happy, and protests – with a goal of getting the cabinet to resign – have seen dozens of police and protestors injured. Protestors chant ‘Murderers! Murderers!’ while the police use teargas and watercannon to disperse crowds.
And as for this woman? She’s doing her make-up in the reflection of the police officer’s riot shield. Not only is she putting on warpaint, but she’s putting on female warpaint, showing that, though no-one should have to protest, it’s a place for women, too. Oh, and while her cover-up is there for beauty, for fun and self-expression, the establishment's alleged cover-up is a lot more sinister...
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.