STA, 19 June 2020 - Anti-government protesters again took to the streets across Slovenia Friday evening. In Ljubljana, some of the protesters entered the square outside the Parliament House which had been completely fenced off, to read the Constitution. After refusing to move, they were physically removed by the riot police.
While the Republic Square served as the centre for rallies in the previous weeks, today it was completely fenced off by the police and most of the protesters gathered in Prešeren Square instead for the start of the rally at 7 pm, before eventually starting to move toward the Parliament House.
The several thousand people carried banners and whistles, as has become customary. Moreover, a number of protesters dressed black today, after Prime Minister Janez Janša referred to blackshirts in his comment of the protests.
Trg republike je javni prostor in ni last te vlade!
— Roni Kordiš (@had) June 19, 2020
Toliko “robocopov” kot jih je bilo danes na ograjenem trgu, do sedaj se ni bilo ...
Ocitno je vlada upala, da pride do nasilja, da nas bodo lahko mlatili ...
Pa so se usteli! In potem so “robocopi” hodili sem ter tja pic.twitter.com/9MWArKzUuP
Pritestniki so pravkar krenili na "pohod po okupirani Ljubljani". #zbalkonovnakolesa pic.twitter.com/9LRznNpt1m
— Gorazd Kosmač (@kosmacg) June 19, 2020
U Sloveniji građani osmi dan prosvjeduju protiv prevratničke Janšine vlade. Zbog 'Smrt Janšizmu' policija podnosi kaznenu prijavu. Ovako će izgledati Hrvatske pod HDZ-om i Škoronom ako im i 5.7. ne pokažemo srednji prst. pic.twitter.com/uRjo42a8bN
— Marko Jurčić (@markojurci) June 19, 2020
Glasno pa tolk, da sem koncertne čepke dala v ušesa. pic.twitter.com/IUkzaCaPbi
— A (@_aney) June 19, 2020
Among the few dozen who read the Constitution in Republic Square were several artists, including author and comedian Andrej Rozman Roza. After some refused to leave the square after being ordered to do so, they were carried off.
The complete closure of the square raised dust among protesters, with the Ljubljana Police Administration telling the STA that the step had been taken in order to protect the Parliament House, to uphold public peace and order, prevent criminal acts from taking place and ensure road safety, as well as to uphold the ban on gathering of more than 500 people.
"When providing for security, we always take into account the known circumstances and information acquired about the protests. Because today's rally has not been reported and has no known organiser, who is... bound to ensure safety of the participants, security was adjusted," the police said of the closed-off square.
