Gemidžii (Boatmen)

By the end of the XIX century, under the influence of the nihilistic-anarchistic ideas, in Macedonia was formed the so called Boatmen’s Society. In order to draw the attention of Europe to the Macedonian issue, in the period April 24-28, 1903, they attacked the Guadalquivir ship in the Thessaloniki Harbour, they cut the pipes of the gas installation in Thessaloniki and attacked the Ottoman’s Bank and the Austro-Hungarian Post in the city and made a diversion at the telegraph station. The biggest part of the Boatmen were people from Veles, intellectuals, tradesmen, students and lords’ children.