| Zagreb protest | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Protesters in Ćilirometodska street | |||
| Date | 17 February 2024 | ||
| Location | 45°48′59″N15°58′26″E / 45.81639°N 15.97389°E /45.81639; 15.97389 | ||
| Caused by |
| ||
| Goals |
| ||
| Methods | Demonstrations | ||
| Parties | |||
| Lead figures | |||
No centralised leadership | |||
| Number | |||
| Casualties | |||
| Injuries | 1[4] | ||
| Arrested | 1[5] | ||
On 17 February 2024, apolitical protest was organized inZagreb, Croatia, by a coalition of 11 left-wing and 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 ofAndrej Plenković and theCroatian Democratic Union.[2] The protest was held under the name "Enough! Let's go to the elections!" (Croatian:Dosta je! Odmah na izbore!).
The protest was sparked by Plenković's appointment of judge Ivan Turudić to the position ofState 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 asJosipa 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 ofWhatsApp 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 withZdravko Mamić[10] who then under supervision of CroatianSecurity and Intelligence Agency[11] and who was subsequently sentenced to prison by Croatian courts and is currently a fugitive inBosnia 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 CroatiaZoran Milanović described it as an attack on Croatian institutions.[13][14] He went on to accuse Plenković of trying to placeState'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 wingWe Can! party protested in front ofCroatian Sabor while Turudić was voted in by a parliament majority.[17] We Can! MPIvana 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 candidateSandra 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 ofSabor 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 ofThe 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 aboutillegal migrations.[23] Two days prior to the protest, another distinguished Bridge memberNino 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 presidentSupreme 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 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 politiciansSandra Benčić,Dalija Orešković,Katarina Peović,Anka Mrak-Taritaš,Krešo Beljak,Peđa Grbin,[26]Ivica Puljak,[27] actorJanko Popović Volarić, singer Ivanka Mazurkijević,[28] film producer and director Dana Budisavljević.[29] During the protest, the leader ofSocial Democrats -Davorko Vidović - also expressed the "deepest respect to thesacrifice of Alexei Navalny".[30]
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.
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.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link){{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link){{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)Govor je održala producentica i redateljica Dana Budisavljević, koja je došla podržati prosvjed
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.
