STA, 12 November 2020 - As a protest turned violent in Ljubljana last Thursday, the police used rubber bullets - typically used in riot control or to disperse protest - for the first time since the country gained independence, the Ljubljana Police Department (LPD) said in a press release on Wednesday.
The LPD gave a news conference already a day after the violent protest, when chief Stanislav Vrečar said 15 police officers had been injured, of whom five needed medical attention. He also assessed that the use of force by police against the rioters had been proportionate.
Related: Violence Between Protesters & Police in Ljubljana (Videos)
Yesterday the police provided additional information about the use of force given that rubber bullets had been used against protesters for the first time since 1991 last week.
The LPD said the police had fired 16 gas and five rubber bullets against protesters because the crowd had not heeded the police orders to stop throwing granite pavement cubes, other dangerous objects and pyrotechnical devices into the police officers, endangering their lives and health.
It explained it had used sponge bullets, which are considered to be the safest for persons targeted. They were fired from 30-40 metres and only against those individuals who were seen throwing objects at the police officers.
The sponge bullets were fired with a shoulder-fired B&T GL06 40 mm grenade launcher, the police said, adding that available data showed they had not injured anybody.
The LPD also said that the use of rubber bullets is allowed under the same conditions as tear gas and is set down in the law on tasks and powers of the police.
