2024 Zagreb protest

Zagreb protest
Protesters in Ćilirometodska street
Date17 February 2024
Location
St. Mark's Square, Zagreb, Croatia

45°48′59″N 15°58′26″E / 45.81639°N 15.97389°E / 45.81639; 15.97389
Caused by
Goals
  • prevention of corruption and usurpation of power[2]
MethodsDemonstrations
Parties
Lead figures

No centralised leadership

Number
c. 7,000[3]
Casualties
Injuries1[4]
Arrested1[5]

Zagreb protest was a political protest organized in Zagreb, Croatia, on 17 February 2024 by a coalition of 11 left-wing, liberal opposition parties (We Can! – Political Platform, Social Democratic Party, Workers' Front, Centre, Party with a First and Last Name, Civic Liberal Alliance, Croatian Peasant Party, Istrian Democratic Assembly, Focus, Social Democrats, People's Party – Reformists) against the government of Andrej Plenković and the Croatian Democratic Union.[2] The protest was held under the name "Enough! Let's go to the elections!" (Croatian: Dosta je! Odmah na izbore!).

Background

The protest was sparked by Plenković's appointment of judge Ivan Turudić to the position of State Attorney of Croatia. His appointment is controversial (among other things), due to his connections with people indicted by Croatian judicial bodies, some of whom (such as Josipa Rimac) are former members of the ruling Croatian Democratic Union party.[6][7][8] Rimac was indicted for corruption by Croatian institutions and according to the leak published by Jutarnji list exchanged hundreds of WhatsApp messages with Turudić in a period between 2016 and 2020.[9] In some of the leaked messages Rimac and Turudić apparently sweet-talked to each other by calling themselves "my beautiful" and "my joy".[9] On another occasion, judge Turudić apparently met in a car during the night with Zdravko Mamić[10] who then under supervision of Croatian Security and Intelligence Agency[11] and who was subsequently sentenced to prison by Croatian courts and is currently a fugitive in Bosnia and Herzegovina.[12] According to writing of Croatian daily Večernji list, at the time of their night meeting, Turudić was president of a court where Mamić was trialed at.[11]

Upon announcement of Turudić's appointment, president of Croatia Zoran Milanović described it as an attack on Croatian institutions.[13][14] He went on to accuse Plenković of trying to place State's Attorney Office of the Republic of Croatia under the political control of current government.[15] Opposition politician Dalija Orešković called appointment "an end of independent judicial system".[16] Parliamentarians belonging to left wing We Can! party protested in front of Croatian Sabor while Turudić was voted in by a parliament majority.[17] We Can! MP Ivana Kekin accused prime minister Plenković of taking the country to the course of Orban's Hungary and Vučić's Serbia.[18] She also called Turudić "Croatian Democratic Unions's boy".[18] We Can's! prime minister candidate Sandra Benčić announced organization of large protest against the appointment "on next Saturday".[19] Meanwhile, 11 political parties also announced joining the protest.[20]

Prime minister Plenković, on the other hand, defended the appointment of Turudić by saying that Turudić passed several security checks of Security and Intelligence Agency.[21] Parliamentary opposition asked for a thematic session of Sabor Judiciary Committee dedicated to Turudić issue, however, the ruling majority dismissed such idea and reiterated that Turudić was appointed "legally and transparent".[22]

Nikola Grmoja, a distinguished member of The Bridge - an opposition conservative party declared that their party will not be joining the protest, albeit they support a citizens right to protest. According to him, the organizers signaled them that they are not welcome due to their beliefs about illegal migrations.[23] Two days prior to the protest, another distinguished Bridge member Nino Raspudić talked about a future protest as a "left wing election campaign rally".[24]

On 15 February 2024, president of High Criminal Court of Croatia, with approval of president Supreme court of Croatia filed a complaint against Ivan Turudić for breaking a Codex of judicial ethics. According to this report, Turudić met several times with people who were under investigation, thus violating the Codex.[25]

The protest

The protest started on 17 February 2024 at 11 am CET and gathered more than 5,000 people.[2] The protesters demanded for "prevention of corruption, crime, embezzlement of funds" and "Croatian Democratic Union's usurpation of power".[2] Some of the speakers on the protest included politicians Sandra Benčić, Dalija Orešković, Katarina Peović, Anka Mrak-Taritaš, Krešo Beljak, Peđa Grbin,[26] Ivica Puljak,[27] actor Janko Popović Volarić, singer Ivanka Mazurkijević,[28] film producer and director Dana Budisavljević.[29] During the protest, the leader of Social Democrats - Davorko Vidović - also expressed the "deepest respect to the sacrifice of Alexey Navalny".[30]

Reactions

  • Prime minister of Croatia Andrej Plenković commented the protest by calling it "a rally of radical left" accompanied by "vulgar and primitive messages that come as a result of Milanović's savagery".[31][32] He also called the rally "pro-Russian".[32]
  • Minister of Croatian War Veterans Tomo Medved stated that the only program of the protest was a hatred towards the Croatian Democratic Union and the government.[33]
  • Croatian philosopher and political analyst Žarko Puhovski gave the protest a mixed review by saying that the protest "wasn't a spectacular success", but it was success on 3 levels: by mobilizing significant number of people, being done on a decent level (with no vulgar messages) and by demonstrating that there is a potential to end the current situation.[34]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Prosvjednici ispunili Markov Trg: 'Dosta je tiranije. Dosta je laži. Dosta je korupcije'". www.vecernji.hr (in Croatian). Retrieved 2024-02-17. Nedavno imenovanje Ivana Turudića za glavnog državnog odvjetnika, naime, jedan je od glavnih okidača koji je ujedinio lijevo-liberalnu oporbu, u kojoj smatraju kako je on "HDZ-ov čovjek" koji se druži s kriminalnim miljeom i koji laže.
  2. ^ a b c d "VELIKI PROSVJED Peović: 'Plenković gori od Hedervaryja - HDZ kvislinzi, izdajice, lopovi!'". NACIONAL.HR (in Croatian). 2024-02-17. Retrieved 2024-02-17.
  3. ^ Assessment by Arhiv javnih skupova
    Kolar, Helena. "Stigla neovisna procjena broja prosvjednika na subotnjem skupu: Oporba okupila dosta više ljudi nego što je procijenio HDZ". Telegram.hr. Retrieved 2024-02-21.
  4. ^ "Završen je prosvjed oporbe, Markov trg bio krcat. Beljak: U pakao s bandom lopovskom". www.index.hr (in Croatian). 2024-02-17. Retrieved 2024-02-17. Jedna osoba je zatražila liječničku pomoć. Policija ju je pustila da prođe kroz zaštitnu ogradu i dođe do vozila hitne. Hitna se prije toga probijala kroz gužvu.
  5. ^ "Jedna osoba privedena na prosvjedu na Markovom trgu". tportal.hr. Retrieved 2024-02-17.
  6. ^ "Tko je budući šef DORH-a? Kontroverzni sudac se spominje u optužnici USKOK-a, pala mu jedna od najvažnijih presuda u Hrvatskoj". Dnevnik.hr (in Croatian). Retrieved 2024-02-17.
  7. ^ "Kontroverzni sudija glavni kandidat za državnog tužitelja Hrvatske". Al Jazeera Balkans (in Bosnian). Retrieved 2024-02-17.
  8. ^ "Isplivale nove poruke, Rimac slala Brkiću: "Turudić mi je rekao: Budi mirna, nema privođenja..."". Dnevnik.hr (in Croatian). Retrieved 2024-02-17.
  9. ^ a b "Jutarnji list - Grafiteri se narugali Turudiću i Rimac, u centru Zagreba osvanule poruke: 'Di si, radosti', 'Di si, lipa'". www.jutarnji.hr (in Croatian). 2024-02-05. Retrieved 2024-02-17.
  10. ^ Petrak, Andrej (2024-02-15). "Turudić se vozikao s Mamićem, a sat poslije kod Šprajca tvrdio: "Viđamo se? Ne, ne, ne i ne"". Novi list. Retrieved 2024-02-17.
  11. ^ a b "Turudić se sastao s Mamićem, a onda isti dan na televiziji sve zanijekao: 'Viđamo li se? Ne, ne, ne i ne'". www.vecernji.hr (in Croatian). Retrieved 2024-02-17.
  12. ^ "Jutarnji list - Nikad koji nije krio da želi u vrh sudbene vlasti: Ovo su tri najveće kontroverze u karijeri budućeg šefa DORH-a". www.jutarnji.hr (in Croatian). 2024-01-25. Retrieved 2024-02-17.
  13. ^ Hrvatska, N1 (2024-01-25). "Milanović se oglasio o Turudiću: "Najopasniji Plenkovićev nasrtaj na institucije. To ne smije proći"". N1 (in Croatian). Retrieved 2024-02-17.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  14. ^ "Grmoja: Institucije su nam okupirane i korumpirane". tportal.hr. Retrieved 2024-02-17.
  15. ^ "'Turudić je trebao biti udaljen iz sudačke profesije, ovo je najopasniji Plenkovićev nasrtaj na institucije'". www.vecernji.hr (in Croatian). Retrieved 2024-02-17.
  16. ^ Hrvatska, N1 (2024-02-08). "Orešković objasnila što će se dogoditi u DORH-u kada Turudić preuzme dužnost". N1 (in Croatian). Retrieved 2024-02-17.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  17. ^ "Sandra Benčić zove građane da dođu stajati s njom dan i noć na Markovom trgu zbog Turudića. On hladno prošetao pored nje". Telegram.hr. Retrieved 2024-02-17.
  18. ^ a b "Ivana Kekin: Plenković je krenuo u smjeru Mađarske i Srbije". www.vecernji.hr (in Croatian). Retrieved 2024-02-17.
  19. ^ "Sandra Benčić o prosvjedu i novom šefu DORH-a: "Sve Turudićeve laži i muljanja sada su postali Plenkovićevi"". Dnevnik.hr (in Croatian). Retrieved 2024-02-17.
  20. ^ Hrvatska, N1 (2024-02-16). "11 stranaka najavilo prosvjed: "Nadamo se da će se Gornji grad sutra napuniti"". N1 (in Croatian). Retrieved 2024-02-17.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  21. ^ "Plenković brani Turudića: "Problematičan je trenutak u kojem se na to upozorava. Politički se čeka trenutak pred glasanje"". Dnevnik.hr (in Croatian). Retrieved 2024-02-17.
  22. ^ "Odbor za pravosuđe neće održati tematsku sjednicu o izboru Turudića". tportal.hr. Retrieved 2024-02-17.
  23. ^ "Grmoja: 'Most je spreman za izbore, imamo i kandidata za premijera'". www.vecernji.hr (in Croatian). Retrieved 2024-02-17.
  24. ^ Hina (2024-02-15). "Je li subotnji prosvjed predizborni skup? "Ovo je početak kraja HDZ-ove vladavine"". N1 (in Croatian). Retrieved 2024-02-17.
  25. ^ katarina (2024-02-15). "Vrhovni sud prijavio Turudića zbog kršenja Kodeksa sudačke etike". Zadarski list (in Croatian). Retrieved 2024-02-17.
  26. ^ "Završen je prosvjed oporbe, Markov trg bio krcat. Beljak: U pakao s bandom lopovskom". www.index.hr (in Croatian). 2024-02-17. Retrieved 2024-02-17.
  27. ^ "Puljak na prosvjedu: Pravomoćno osuđene stranke treba zabraniti i ukinuti". www.index.hr (in Croatian). Retrieved 2024-02-17.
  28. ^ "Janko Popović Volarić na prosvjedu protiv HDZ-a: Sinu mi je rođendan. Ovo je poklon". www.index.hr (in Croatian). Retrieved 2024-02-17.
  29. ^ "Jutarnji list - Na Markov trg prvi stigli SDP-ovci, na transparentima 'lipota i radost': 'Evo koliko ljudi očekujemo'". www.jutarnji.hr (in Croatian). 2024-02-17. Retrieved 2024-02-17. Govor je održala producentica i redateljica Dana Budisavljević, koja je došla podržati prosvjed
  30. ^ Škaro, Katarina (2024-02-17). "Markov trg bio je krcat, ljudi su klicali: 'AP odlazi! HDZ, lopovi!'". Telegram.hr. Retrieved 2024-02-17. Davorko Vidović iskazao je najprije "najdublje poštovanje žrtvi Alekseja Navaljnog". "Nema slobode u zemlji u kojoj se dobiva tri godine zatvora ako se kaže istina. Zato smo ovdje. Broje nas, koliko nas ima. A znate zašto. Jer se boje, jer znaju da nema tako velikog trga na koji mogu stati svi koji se ne mire s ustezanjem demokracije ni za milimetar. I to ćemo im pokazati vrlo brzo", poručio je.
  31. ^ "Plenković o prosvjedu: Vulgarne poruke plod su Milanovićeva divljaštva". tportal.hr. Retrieved 2024-02-17.
  32. ^ a b "Jutarnji list - Plenkovića o velikom prosvjedu na Markovom trgu: 'Bio je to skup radikalne ljevice, a poruke su bile vulgarne, primitivne...'". www.jutarnji.hr (in Croatian). 2024-02-17. Retrieved 2024-02-17.
  33. ^ "DOSTA JE Medved o velikom prosvjedu: Njihov jedini program je mržnja prema HDZ-u i vladi". NACIONAL.HR (in Croatian). 2024-02-17. Retrieved 2024-02-17.
  34. ^ "Jutarnji list - Puhovski o prosvjedu na Markovu trgu: 'Nije to spektakularan uspjeh, prepoznajem dva problema'". www.jutarnji.hr (in Croatian). 2024-02-17. Retrieved 2024-02-17.