STA, 13 January 2020 - Some hundred protesters gathered in Republic Square in front of the National Assembly building on Wednesday to air their disagreements with Covid restrictions, including mask-wearing, and vaccine recommendations. A relatively heavy police presence was in force for the protest, which was peaceful and ended in about two hours.
The police warned the demonstrators that public gatherings were not permitted during the epidemic as a helicopter circled the rally. A perimeter fence was also erected around the parliament building.
The protesters were ID-ed and urged to disperse, but they did not comply with the requests, expressing their disagreement by whistling at police officers.
The protest was not held by organisers of Friday anti-government protests which left an indelible mark in 2020 but were suspended due to the second epidemic wave and are now only evoked by occasional protest actions that heed prevention measures.
The opposition parties have also distanced themselves from today's demonstration, which was announced on social media by the civil initiative Maske Dol (Down with Masks) with its initiator Anica Bidar urging participants to protest peacefully.
Addressing them in Republic Square, she said that "corrupt politics that restricts all the freedom" should be stopped. "We want to be free, healthy, so we spread peace, love and health," she added, announcing a repeat protest.
Another person who encouraged people to attend the protest and was present there was Anis Ličina, who is allegedly one of the main initiators of the violent 5 November demonstrations.
Today's protest saw a number of Slovenian flags as well as banners warning about what the protesters see as dangers of Covid-19 vaccination. Slovenia's anthem was also sung.
The police said ahead of the protest that they were not encroaching on people's rights to assembly and freedom of expression, but given the extreme situation it was key to protect public health and comply with Covid rules.
More than 200 violations established at Wednesday's protest
STA, 14 January 2020 - The police have so far established more than 200 violations of the Covid rules banning public gatherings that were processed at Wednesday's protest by anti-vaxxers and anti-maskers. Data gathered so far show no one was hurt during the demonstration, the Ljubljana Police Department said in a press release on Thursday.
Coercive measures or the use of force by the police were applied against one person due to failure to comply with police orders.
So far, the police have established 118 violations of the public assembly act, 96 violations of the temporary Covid rules banning assemblies, one violation of the public order act and six violations of the ID act.
Objects that are not permitted at rallies were confiscated in six cases. Procedures have been launched against three persons - the protest's organisers.
The rally, which saw initially some 20 protesters gathering in Republic Square in front of the parliament building around 2pm, was also banned by an administrative decision, the police noted, adding they would continue with their investigation.
Altogether, the demonstration numbered some 100 protesters who oppose Covid restrictions. A relatively heavy police presence was in force for the protest, which was peaceful and ended in about two hours. Police officers IDed the demonstrators as a helicopter circled the rally.
The protest was not held by organisers of Friday anti-government protests, but was announced on social media by the civil initiative Maske Dol (Down with Masks) with its initiator Anica Bidar urging participants to protest peacefully.
Another person who encouraged people to attend the protest and was present there was Anis Ličina, who is allegedly one of the main initiators of the violent 5 November demonstrations.
