NationStates Jolt Archive

"President Majher... wake up!" The Vice President of Militanar shook the sleeping figure furiously. There was no time to waste.

The President opened his eyes reluctantly, and saw the worried face of the Vice President. "Tarilon... what is the matter?"

"Riots, sir. You knew, of course, of the protests planned for today?"

"Yes, of course. The Coalition for the Advancement of the Proletariat, Militanar's largest communist organization, and the Capitalism Immediately Movement, among the most prominent radical right-wing organizations here, were to protest my recent budget plan - the CAP in protest of the cuts in social programs, and the CIM in protest of the tax raise. This got violent?" The President was out of bed now, quickly moving to his office in a nearby room.

"Yes, sir," Vice President Tarilon answered. "A group of CAP demonstrators met CIM demonstrators, and things escalated from there. It is unknown who started the fight, but quickly shouts of revenge echoed, and violence erupted. Lootings, burning, stone-throwing, even a bit of spotty gunfire here and there. The policemen on duty are quite overtasked."

"When did this begin, Tarilon?" asked the President angrily. "You're speaking as if this has been developing for a while now. Why was I not notified?"

"Around an hour or two ago, sir. The Minister of Internal Security, working with the Militanar City Police, thought he could quell it with ease, and decided not to inform anyone. I woke up early, sir, and decided to do my daily check of the news instead of simply going back to sleep. It was a lucky thing, as I doubt he would have informed you any time soon."

"Go to him," the President said furiously. "Tell him that he is fired. No, tell him to come to me immediately. I will give him the news."

"Yes, sir." The Vice President was a little relieved that he would not have to convey that particular message.

"Is there anything else I should know, Tarilon? Any other cabinet members betraying me behind my back? Any other urgent problems that I should have been notified of hours ago?" The President's anger filled his tone.

"Yes, sir, probably under the latter category. You know, of course, that the CIM is angry over the government's decision to grant Essenia that land."

Yes, the President knew. A large stretch of resource-laden territory had been sold to Essenia for a large sum of money, mainly because it had not been developed and wasn't about to be. That fact did not matter, of course, to the CIM. They were radicals, and unreasonable.

"Well," the Vice President continued, "CIM protesters are now shouting 'Death to Essenia' in the streets, and other such slogans. Many Essenian diplomats have been rushed to the embassy, but sizable numbers of rioters are going there. The police are busy elsewhere right now, and I dread to think of what could happen when a bunch of angry rioters approach that embassy."

"After you bring your message to the Minister of Internal Security, issue a statement calling for peace and order. Then, immediately take control of the Ministry. If anyone protests, tell them I ordered you to." The President opened a drawer and gave the Vice President his spare Presidential Card. Only two such cards existed in the world, and the President always knew the location of both. It would be sufficient proof of his will for all reasonable people. "After you take control, send all available police forces here to stop the riotors from reaching that embassy. If no police forces are available, cancel all unimportant tasks and use the ones released from them. If clubs are necessary, use clubs. If tear gas is necessary, use tear gas. I want those rioters AWAY from the embassy, and I declare you responsible for what occurs there. Go now." The Vice President left.

Taking the phone on the President's desk, President Majher prepared to call the President of Essenia.

"Ambassador... they are coming for us." The Ambassador's aide, a tall blond-haired man of 27, shuddered at his own statement. "They are not being stopped. There are reports of police action to combat their advance, but none of it has been successful."

"Nevertheless, this is probably the most secure place for any Essenian in all of Militanar City," the Ambassador stated, referring to the embassy in which both were located. "How many Essenian citizens remain in the city?"

"As you well know, Ambassador, all we have is estimates, but out of probably 500 or so Essenians in the city, 297 are here in the embassy. As for the remaining 200 or so... we have recieved no credible reports of killings or other abuses."

"I hope it remains that way," the Ambassador replied. "Please inform the Militanaran Minister of Internal Security of our situation, and demand - politely, of course - that he send aid. And after you've done that, reiterate our earlier call for all Essenians to report to the embassy." His aide left swiftly.

Just then, a message came from the fax machine nearby.

Essenian Ambassador to Militanar,
I have been informed of the current situation by the President of Militanar. He has promised to do all he can to stop it. I see no immediate danger, but be careful.

Tosan Falamis
President
Republic of Essenia

No immediate danger, he says, thought the Ambassador. I doubt it. But there is nothing that can be done but to proceed with our earlier plans.

A report from the Militanar City Post

Riots erupt in Militanar City; 39 reported dead

Clashes have broken out between the Coalition for the Advancement of the Proletariat, a large communist organization, the Capitalism Immediately Movement, a large conservative organization, and Militanaran police today as among the worst riots ever suffered in Militanar began.

Around four hours ago, a group of forty or so CIM activists, early-comers to the protests, saw a band of CAP protesters, reportedly slightly larger. It is unknown exactly who started the violence, but it is clear that within minutes, the angry shouting of slogans had turned into the furious tossing of rocks. Before police could intervene, cries of revenge echoed through the city, and protesters across the metropolis began attacking each other and police trying to stop the violence. Dozens of arsons and looting have been reported, mainly against businesses believed to be ideologically unacceptable to protesters for one reason or another.

For unknown reasons, likely related to mistakes made in the beginning of the riots, the Minister of Internal Security, Jon Geropos, has been fired, and the Vice President has taken over in what the President claims to be a "temporary arrangement."

Around two hundred or so CIM protesters, angry over the government's recent sale of the Darikan Territory to Essenia, are currently clashing with police near the Essenian embassy. Other groups of CIM protesters are approaching the embassy, and everywhere cries of "Death to Essenia" erupt.

The CAP has issued a statement denouncing "reactionary right-wing violence" and applauding the "efforts of CAP members to defend themselves against the aggression of burgeoise-appeasers." It has reiterated its original complaint, the reason for the protest; that being, the "excessively harmful" cuts in social welfare and other economic programs, which, according to the CAP, are examples of the government's "willingness to appease the burgeoise class" and other "capitalist powers".

No statement on the violence has yet been issued by the CIM, but a CIM spokesperson, wishing to remain anonymous, has declared that the CIM "holds firm" in its opposition to "communist programs wrecking our economy", such as the recent "highly excessive tax hikes".

The President has issued a call for peace and order, and declared that "all necessary non-lethal means" will be used to quell "the unnacceptable riots".

"Death to Essenia! Death to Essenia!" The resounding cries of protesters filled the air, and not even the thick walls of the embassy could keep them out.

"We're completely surrounded, Ambassador," the Ambassador's aide told him. "We are under seige by the rioters."

"Aren't the police doing something?" the Ambassador asked.

"They are on the retreat. They clashed with the protesters, but homemade bombs and firearms dealt them heavy enough casualties for them to be forced back," reported the aide.

"Why haven't they used those 'homemade bombs' against us?" the Ambassador mused.

"I do not kn-". The aide's words were cut off by an explosion beneath them, followed by another, then several more. The smell of smoke suddenly filled the air, and the cackling of flames beneath them was audible.

"They just did," the Ambassador whispered unnecessarily. "The building is on fire, and will likely collapse eventually."

"Death to Essenia!", the crowds outside chorused.

"The news is bad. Very bad." Vice President and Minister of Internal Security Tarilon sounded shaken, even through the imperfect sound of the telephone.

"What is it, Tarilon? Whatever it is, it can't be much worse than last time, when you informed me that all your efforts had failed to push the CIM away from the Essenian embassy. You're lucky you haven't been removed from office for that." The President knew he wasn't being very tactful, but he didn't care.

"The Essenian embassy is on fire, sir. It has already been seriously damaged, and is expected to collapse. Also-"

The President cursed. "When you get off the phone, Tarilon, immediately send all spare helicopters in or near the city to the embassy. Evacuate everyone possible, starting with the Ambassador and others highly placed. Take them to... say, the Maxinus Military Base. It is among the closest, and secure. And... tell them to send one here, too, and to all the members of the Cabinet."

"Sir, that is the other problem," the Vice President said. "CAP rioters, screaming 'stop police brutality', have entered the Militanar City Helicopter Base in anger over the helicopter strikes I ordered on a group of CAP rioters. They have overwhelmed the guards with a variety of weapons, homemade and not, and are in the process of destroying the base and the helicopters located there."

"Then... get a large contigent of police here ASAP, and send another contigent twice the size, with as much fire control equipment as possible, to the embassy. Tell them to do what can be done there, and save as many Essenians as possible. The rest I will use to get me, you, and the Cabinet out of here as soon as possible. We lead Militanar. We are Militanar. WE must escape this intact."

"Okay, sir, but what of the Parliament?" the Vice President asked.

"They will have to escape on their own. No, change that. When we have relocated to the Maxinus Military Base, set half of the remaining police forces to rescuing as many members of Parliament as possible," the President replied.

"Yes, sir."

Approximately an hour later

The President was in his car now, with his Vice President, an aide, and his official driver. Surrounding him was a contigent of 200 riot police on motorcycles and in military transport vehicles, canisters of tear gas and other weapons at the ready, clearing the area for the President to go through. Much resistance had already been encountered, but because they were a moving target, it was harder to attack them.

Shouts suddenly broke out around them, and a band of seven CIM demonstrators, one carrying a sign calling him a "traitor to capitalism" and all carrying weapons, appeared on a nearby rooftop. Gunfire immediately broke out between the police and the seven demonstrators, and two swiftly fell. A third, however, picked up what must have been a bomb, and through it straight in their direction.

The driver of the car swerved to avoid the bomb as all the other inhabitants instinctively ducked. It did no good, however, and the bomb struck, resulting in a terrible, deafening explosion...
************************************************
A report from the Militanar City Post

President Killed by CIM Rioters

President Fese Majher, Vice President and Minister of Internal Security Ijkor Tarilon, and two others are reported dead in what was an apparent assasination attempt by seven CIM rioters.

The President was apparentally leaving the city in fear of his own life.

Few other details are known at this time.

Few who knew much about the two men would comprehend their friendship. They were complete opposites politically - one, a radical MP for the Patriot Party, among the most right-wing parties in the Parliament of Militanar, the other, a radical MP for the Progressive Party, among the most left-wing parties in the Parliament of Militanar - and politics were both their lives.

But Jos Damas and Ratorin Polian did share two important things - a great love for the Armed Socialist Republic of Militanar and its people, and a hatred for those who had broken the law in pursuit of their political ideology, regardless of whether or not that particular political ideology was one they shared.

"The President is dead," Jos said to Ratorin, for perhaps the tenth time so far. "The President is dead, the streets are in total chaos, and we are trapped here, in the lobby of this apartment building, sitting ducks for anyone who wants to kill us. My friend, we MUST get out of here somehow."

"What do you propose, Jos? The President was killed while trying to leave the city, and I doubt we'll have the luxury of 200 riot police protecting us. We'll die in a matter of minutes - it's not like either of our faces aren't known."

"I don't know," Jos replied, "but I do know something, and that is we are only a little less vulnerable in here then we are wandering the streets, and we will be a lot less vulnerable if we make it somewhere safe."

"If we're killed by that time," Retorin retorted. "And where would we go, anyway? No place is safe, certainly not for two well-known and well-hated Militanaran MPs. The CAP is sure to go after you, and the CIM after me, and if either of us attempt to protect the other, they won't care about whether or not they share politics with that one, they'll kill him anyway."

"Again, Retorin, I don't know," said Jos. "I just hate the feeling of being stuck here, unable to do anything, simply waiting for someone to walk in and kill us."

"There is nothing reasonable we can do, Jos. Of the less reasonable options, the most rational is to wait here. We will likely die, but I see no option with a lower mortality rate."

The door burst open, and six gunmen walked in, one with a CIM pin of an eagle on his collar, symbolizing freedom - the ideology that the radically capitalist organization claimed to stand for.

"It appears that you were right, Jos Damas. Forever you will be my friend." Ratorin was just as perfectly calm as he always was as he extended a hand towards his political enemy. Jos clasped it, a good-bye gesture among good friends.

It was the last thing they were to share, ever.

The building is about to collapse. There is no escape.

The message still chilled the Essenian President's blood, fifteen minutes after its delivery. 300 Essenians had likely died in the collapse, and it was a disaster both for those within and the future relationships of the two nations.

The President sent for his aide, who came swiftly. "Send a transmission to the Government Headquarters of Militanar, and address it to whoever happens to be in control at the moment. Express sympathy with the dead, and express solidarity with the Militanarran people in this time of crisis. Ask politely for restitution, but also express your tolerance for delaying its giving until the crisis is over. Then send another message to the media, addressed to the people of Essenia. Express sympathy for the friends and family of the recent dead, and declare our commitment to working with Militanar to find those responsible. Make sure you include the 'working with Militanar' part." The aide left to his work.