Ljubljana related

21 Oct 2021, 09:26 AM

STA, 20 October 2021 - Protesters against Covid pass mandate and other coronavirus-related restrictions gathered for the sixth consecutive rally in Ljubljana on Wednesday, urging an early election. The protest was addressed by the head of the Resni.ca (Truth) party Zoran Stevanović, who is considered one of the main initiators of the weekly rallies.

According to initial estimates, a few thousand protesters gathered in Congress Square this time as Republic Square, their usual starting point, had been fenced off due to preparations for the upcoming Ljubljana Marathon.

They chanted anti-government slogans, but also voiced criticism against police, judiciary, media, doctors as well as opposition parties, calling for a snap election. Most of all, they are against the recovered-vaccinated-tested requirement.

Rally speeches started at about 4pm with Stevanović being the first to address the crowd, reported the public broadcaster RTV Slovenija. He said the protesters were getting stronger by the day and had set an example for Slovenia's neighbour countries, particularly Italy and its protests in Trieste.

A number of protesters were ID'd at the start of the rally, according to several media reports, with police officers going through the contents of their backpacks and handbags.

The police had noted that the rally had not been registered, urging the participants to protest peacefully and to follow police instructions. Police presence had been boosted and a helicopter had been circling above the rally venue.

After the speeches wrapped up, the protesters started marching through the streets of the capital. The police then urged them to disband, but this has only led to the rally being divided into two groups.

19 Oct 2021, 11:32 AM

STA, 18 October - Supervision at the General Police Administration carried out by the parliamentary Intelligence Oversight Commission (KNOVS) has confirmed the leadership of the Interior Ministry was present in two operational centres of the police during the 5 October protest, KNOVS chair Matjaž Nemec said on Monday, labelling it "rather unusual".

The supervision carried out by five KNOVS members has established that Minister Aleš Hojs, Interior Ministry State Secretary Franc Kangler, national security state secretary in the prime minister's office Žan Mahnič and Police Commissioner Anton Olaj visited the two operational centres during the protest.

While the presence of Olaj was justified, this cannot be said for the other three officials, Nemec told the press in Ljubljana on Monday, adding that in the past, ministers had usually visited operational centres after a campaign had been concluded.

Asked whether Božo Predalič, another state secretary at the Interior Ministry, was present in the centres, Nemec, the MP of the opposition Social Democrats (SD), said that Olaj did not want to answer this question.

Nemec said that the commission had not been able to determine whether some of the politicians present had been giving direct orders to the police how to handle the protest in Ljubljana, during which a water cannon and tear gas were used.

Olaj was not able to tell whether the situation in the operational centres was recorded, and said he would need to check this and report about it, he said.

According to Nemec, KNOVS did not get answers as to who gave orders to the police officers to use all means available against the protesters "at the moment when protests had not turned violent yet".

Minister Hojs said on Twitter last Friday that he was in Budapest on 5 October, and that he had arrived at Ljubljana airport only at 6:17pm. Nemec said the minister had arrived in one of the operational centres "in the early evening hours".

Hojs told the press today on the sidelines of a National Assembly plenary session that he had arrived at the operational centre around 7:15pm and that he had not been giving any instructions.

The minister said that he had come to the centre to congratulate everybody who had managed the campaign from the centre, and to ask about some details of the campaign, which had already been concluded by that time.

On Twitter, Hojs questioned Nemec's truthfulness, noting that he had told the public broadcaster that "the police ordered the use of a water cannon and tear gas already at 3:30pm", while according to the minister this happened a few minutes before 5pm.

Similarly, Mahnič said in a tweet that the supervision by KNOVS had rejected the "untruthful claims by the media and Nemec" that he and Hojs had been in the centre until around 6pm during the protest.

He said that he had arrived there only around 7:15pm, when the protest had largely been over, and that he had come there to get acquainted with the centre's work and the security situation, while giving no instructions.

KNOVS analysed today a total of eleven protests that took place in Ljubljana in recent months, including the conduct of the police during the 26 June protest in Prešeren Square, when members of the so-called Yellow Jackets far-right movement were forcefully removed.

Olaj, who had ordered internal supervision of the police conduct at the protest, met with the task force before and after the supervision, which he confirmed himself today, Nemec said.

"This sheds bad light in a way on the objectivity of the task force," he said, adding that what also caught the eye was Olaj admitting today that he "intervened in the work of supervisors, in the final report" at least in one case.

Nemec finds this unusual, as the police commissioner is supposed to provide conditions for independent work of the supervisory task force.

The KNOVS chair also noted that the police had used by far the most coercive means in its history at the 5 October protest.

Due to these and other reservations, the commission has asked the Office of the Human Rights Ombudsman to examine compliance of the police conduct at protests from the aspect of human rights, Nemec said.

Olaj said today that the police respected parliamentary oversight and KNOVS, which was why he had answered the questions he had received today although the topics covered had exceeded KNOVS's powers.

He said in a press release published on Twitter they were used to oversights and inquiries by the Human Rights Ombudsman and denied any interfering in the contents of the final reports after the protests.

Olaj told KNOVS that two commissions had been set up to check the decisions of police at the protests on 15 September and 5 October. He expects the first report, which will be presented to the public, in the first half of November.

Asked about visits to the operational centres on 5 October, Olaj said he had been at the Centre for Protection at 7:25pm and at the Ljubljana Police Administration at 7:35pm. He said nobody had given instruction to police officers.

13 Oct 2021, 21:27 PM

STA, 13 October 2021 - Tensions were running high in Ljubljana as opponents of Covid-19 restrictions took to the stress for the fifth consecutive week, disrupting traffic. A police water cannon was at the ready as the police were trying to disperse the crowd blocking a major crossroads in the centre of Ljubljana.

Like the week before, the protesters gathered in the large square in front of the parliament building before heading on to proceed through the surrounding streets, carrying banners, whistling and chanting slogans against the Covid pass mandate and repression.

Unlike the week before, when the police repeatedly fired tear gas and water cannon against the demonstrators in a bid to disperse them as Slovenia hosted an EU summit, this time around the protest has largely unfolded peacefully, although the situation has been tense.

After their way was blocked by the police, the protesters became stranded at the crossroads at the innermost Ljubljana ring, in the vicinity of Hotel Lev. They failed to obey orders to disperse but riot police eventually got them to move back into the town centre and Republic Square where the protest started.

There has been heavy police presence, including mounted police, and a helicopter has been circling above the city centre. Police have had the water cannot at the ready at several locations, but have not used it, while they have used tear gas against individual protesters, media reports say.

POP TV has reported that the police have apprehended several protesters who have carried granite pavement stones.

Commenting on the developments at a session of a parliamentary committee, Interior Minister Aleš Hojs described protesters' actions today as a "blatant violation of public peace and order". He said the police would "remove them one by one from the public spaces" if need be.

Zoran Stevanović, the informal leader of protesters, has been spotted at the protest. In a statement for some media today, he blamed mainly police for the riots a week ago. But he called for peaceful protest as have the police.

Two weeks ago, the protesters blocked traffic in Celovška, the capital city's main throughfare, and the Ljubljana motorway ring road. The police used tear gas and water cannon on that occasion as well.

07 Oct 2021, 20:33 PM

STA, 7 October 2021 - The home of Zoran Stevanović, one of the principal initiators of protests against the Covid pass mandate, and the headquarters of his party Resni.ca (Truth) were searched on Thursday after Stevanović was detained by police after Tuesday's riots on suspicion of incitement to resistance.

Criminal investigators appeared at Stevanović's home on Thursday morning, according to reports by TV Slovenija, and the investigation continued at the headquarters of his party Resni.ca in the centre of Kranj.

The investigators, along with Stevanović and his lawyer, left the building after an hour and a half, according to media reports. He was released today after the house searches ended.

The police explained to the STA that they were unable to disclose precise information due to the protection of personal data.

However, they did confirm that the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) carried out two house searches today.

Criminal investigators from Kranj, the Criminal Police Directorate and the NBI, who had taken charge of the investigation on Wednesday, were all involved in the procedures.

The NBI, which normally deals with the most serious cases of white-collar crime, took over the investigation due to "the large amount of unreviewed footage, a short time frame, and providing enough police officers to carry out the required investigative actions".

Incitement to resistance is a crime punishable by up to three years in prison.

According to media reports, Stevanović turned himself in to the police on Tuesday.

Resni.ca said after the protest that Stevanović had been "under constant threat from the police that he would be arrested for the duration of the protest".

In the same message, they also distanced themselves from Tuesday's events, while Stevanović said at the rally that he was not using the protests for political campaigning.

Today, the party said it would no longer organise rallies because that would "jeopardise Zoran's liberty".

06 Oct 2021, 12:27 PM

STA, 6 October 2021 - Police made several arrests during Tuesday's riots in Ljubljana, including the protest organiser Zoran Stevanović and the rapper Zlatko, one of the mainstays of anti-government rallies, according to media reports.

The arrest of Stevanović was confirmed by his party, Resni.ca, which said last evening he had been taken into custody.

The rapper Zlatko was apprehended in front of the cameras after urging the crowd to start marching around the city.

Police would not confirm the identities of those arrested beyond Danijel Lorbek, the head of the Ljubljana Police Directorate, saying that three people have been apprehended on suspicion of criminal activity and several more due to violations of the act on the police.

Lorbek told TV Slovenija last night that the crowd initially numbered around 3,000 and was joined by more people as the march around the city began.

He said police had used "the whole palette of coercive means," from the cavalry to dogs, a water cannon and tear gas.

According to Lorbek, there are indications a fresh protest will be held on Wednesday.

Yesterday's rally devolved into rioting around the centre of Ljubljana as hundreds of riot police appear to have tried to prevent the crowd from blocking main thoroughfares like they did last week.

The rioting went on for several hours. By nightfall, only small groups of protesters remained in the city centre and by 9pm the crowd had been dispersed and "order established," police said today.

According to the police statement, six officers had sustained minor injuries and two protesters required medical assistance due to inhalation of tear gas.

05 Oct 2021, 21:34 PM

STA, 5 October 2021 - Opponents of the government anti-coronavirus measures gathered on Tuesday in Republic Square in front of the parliament building, which the police protected and cordoned off after a similar protest turned violent last week. The police used a water cannon and tear gas and the crowd dispersed around the centre of Ljubljana, continuing to protest.

Police officers IDed the protesters at the start of the rally around 3pm, with some saying the police had kept 30 buses full of protesters away from the scene of the rally, which the police denied for the STA.

A protester said in her address she disagreed with the restriction of movement in the area of Republic Square arguing there was no legal basis for it or the IDing.

At the protest, Zoran Stevanović, head of the non-parliamentary Resni.ca party and the organiser of this and last week's rallies, repeated his demand for the government to do away with anti-coronavirus measures and call an early election.

Following the introductory speeches, the protesters proceeded around the streets in the city centre, first towards Congress Square.

There they ran into one of the delegations attending the EU summit held at Brdo pri Kranju, according to the 24ur.com news portal, which said that once surrounded, the delegation started backing up towards Slovenska Cesta.

According to the same source, rapper Zlatko was arrested in the city centre and removed from the protest in a police car as protesters were throwing items at the vehicle.

Around 5pm, the police used a water cannon and tear gas, while a police helicopter was circling the centre of the city.

The crowd then headed towards Slovenska Cesta again, but the police stopped them, so they turned towards the Tržaška Cesta thoroughfare, and then towards Tivoli Park, where the police used the water cannon and tear gas again.

The protesters answered by throwing pyrotechnics, rocks, bottles and other items at police officers.

They then tried to come close to Intercontinental Hotel, where a part of delegations of the EU-Western Balkans summit is accommodated, only to be again detoured towards other parts of the city by the police.

The protest was violent at times, with the protesters breaking glass at the entrance to the headquarters of the N1 news portal, and also trying to prevent work by journalists on the streets by insulting, threatening or pushing them.

Stevanović said a few days ago this week's rally would he held on Tuesday to coincide with EU leaders gathering at Brdo pri Kranju, some 20 km north of Ljubljana, for an informal dinner.

It was thus speculated on social media the rally could take place at Brdo pri Kranju, but Stevanović said last evening the location remained the same, Republic Square.

In order to protect public order, the government decided yesterday to task the police with restricting movement on Tuesday and Wednesday in Ljubljana, Bled and Brdo.

Based on the government's decision, the police issued a notice saying that people would be warned if they are in a restricted area and that coercive measures would be used should they not heed the warning.

05 Oct 2021, 08:58 AM

STA, 4 October 2021 - The parliamentary interior affairs and justice committees urged on Monday the police and prosecution to immediately act against the organisers of unregistered rallies and against violent protesters. The Ljubljana Administrative Unit was meanwhile urged to ban rallies which could turn violent.

The session was requested by the ruling Democrats (SDS), after an unregistered mass rally against the Covid pass mandate in Ljubljana last Wednesday turned violent.

The SDS MPs believe the police and prosecution do not act effectively enough against the organisers of unregistered protests and individuals who threaten politicians.

Presenting the case on behalf of the SDS, MP Branko Grims criticised the prosecution and judiciary for not doing their job. He wondered how it was possible that they did not take action against the publicly known organisers of protests.

"In a normal state, someone who organises illegal, violent protests, who threatens with a coup and a blockade of the country, is not received by the president, but is paid a visit by criminal police," Grims said in reference to today's meeting between President Borut Pahor and Zoran Stevanović, head of the non-parliamentary Resni.ca party.

Supreme State Prosecutor Aleš Butala rejected the allegations about passivity and double standards, saying that in order to prosecute, the prosecutors need to receive data and evidence from the police.

Police Commissioner Anton Olaj disagreed, saying the prosecutors gave guidance to police. He said "the police get blamed for everything, even if you prevent them with your guidance from doing what they should".

The SDS's criticism was also directed against the State Attorney's Office.

State Attorney General Jurij Groznik however said the office had not received any proposal for filing a damages claim or a request to issue a legal opinion in connection with the latest violent protest. This means it does not have a basis to act within its jurisdiction.

Interior Minister Aleš Hojs meanwhile accused Groznik of pretending ignorance, saying it was clear who the organiser of the 29 September rally was "as he was today received by Pahor".

Hojs assured the MPs that the police will do everything in its power in the coming days to properly protect public law and order.

The coalition MPs largely expressed support for the proposed resolutions, with SDS MP Anja Bah Žibert saying they were urgent to prevent riots, while the centre-left opposition highlighted the reasons for dissatisfaction among the people.

Predrag Bakovič (SD) said the coalition MPs were talking about the protection of legal order while the government was violating it, including by not appointing European delegated prosecutors, not financing the STA or governing with decrees.

Željko Cigler of the Left said people had been "literally pushed on the streets", with the introduction of the Covid pass mandate, especially the convalescent-vaccinated (PC) rule, being the last straw.

Rudi Medved (LMŠ) believes today's debate is continuation of political pressure on the police, prosecution and judiciary. He said it was obvious that the government and coalition wished to activate Article 9 of the police tasks and powers act to ban movement of people in certain areas.

The government activated this article later in the day, as Slovenia hosts an EU-Balkans summit in the coming two days and as a protest has been announced for tomorrow.

Andrej Rajh (SAB) said that the law enforcement should first establish who finances and supports the violent protesters and provokers.

All our stories on protests in Slovenia

05 Oct 2021, 08:52 AM

STA, 4 October 2021 - President Borut Pahor held talks on Monday with Zoran Stevanović, the initiator of recent protests against the Covid pass mandate who demands that the government step down. Stevanović wanted Pahor to endorse the calls but Pahor turned down the request.

"The president explained that he is working with all governments elected by the National Assembly and so he does not accept Mr Stevanović's initiative to urge the government to step down," Pahor's office said.

He told Stevanović vaccination was the only way to end the health crisis, with the currently low vaccination rate warranting government action.

Pahor also called on Stevanović to urge protesters to refrain from violent action, noting that those who invite people to protests were responsible for that.

Stevanović is a local politician and former police officer with a large Facebook following who has spearheaded several protests, and recently urged the government to step down.

Speaking to the press after the meeting, Stevanović said the outcome of the talks was expected and announced that protests will continue.

There have been indications that protesters might try to target tomorrow's dinner by EU leaders, but Stevanović was coy today, saying only that the exact location of tomorrow's rally would be announced in the evening.

Stevanović also made a point of stating that the meeting was maskless, which was also confirmed by a photo circulated by Pahor's office. "I would never wear a mask," he said.

Facing criticism on social media that he is giving Stevanović legitimacy by receiving him, Pahor meanwhile stressed that he has previously received anti-government protesters and members of several civil initiatives that oppose Covid restrictions.

The president is "convinced that there is insufficient dialogue and cooperation regarding the resolution of the health crisis and that we would tackle it more successfully if there is more dialogue and cooperation at all levels," his office said.

04 Oct 2021, 20:18 PM

STA, 4 October 2021 - The government decided to restrict or prohibit movement in Ljubljana, the lakeside resort of Bled and around the Brdo pri Kranju conference centre on Tuesday and Wednesday, citing a high probability of severe violations of public order and peace. This comes as new mass protests have been announced and ahead of the EU-Western Balkans summit.

The decision taken at a correspondence session on Monday also allows the police to prohibit accommodation in certain areas or order people to leave certain areas.

This measure is permitted by Article 9 of the police tasks and powers act and may be taken by the government on proposal of the interior minister if there is high probability of severe violations of public order and peace, the government said.

It may be in force for seven days at the most and is suspended immediately when the reasons why it has been introduced no longer exist, the press release adds.

The decision comes after a new mass protest of people opposed to the Covid pass mandate has been announced and ahead of the two-day EU-Western Balkans summit in Brdo pri Kranju, which starts with an informal dinner on Tuesday evening.

Zoran Stevanović, the leader of the non-parliamentary Resni.ca party and the informal face of the protests, has announced protests that could include blockage of roads, as this already happened last Wednesday in Ljubljana.

According to the MMC web portal of the public broadcaster RTV Slovenija, this is the first time in Slovenia's history that the article will be activated.

Article 9 of the police tasks and powers act envisages various restrictions, in particular of movement and assembly when there is high probability of severe violations of public order and peace.

Limitations may be similar to those introduced by the government during the Covid-19 epidemic, when it prohibited movement among municipalities or statistical regions. Curfew was in force for more than half a year.

Calls for ban on organised rallies in Ljubljana have been coming from the MPs of the ruling Democrats (SDS), and Interior Minister Aleš Hojs mentioned the possibility of activating Article 9 on Saturday.

That day, a march by opponents of abortion called Walk for Life was held in Ljubljana, with a counter-rally being held at the same time. The participants of the two rallies were separated by a police cordon.

Hojs said on Twitter that the "peaceful and registered Walk for Life ... could not be held as planned because of anarchists and possible violence coming from the unregistered rally that had been called by the Left. It's time for Article 9".

Miroslav Žaberl of the Faculty of Criminal Justice and Security told MMC that "the reason cited by the minister in his tweet certainly cannot be the reason for activating the mentioned institute".

He added that the government had to prove high probability of severe violations of public order and peace, which means proving that the situation is so serious that the police cannot establish order without this measure.

29 Sep 2021, 23:13 PM

STA, 29 September 2021 - A group of several thousand protesters again gathered in Ljubljana on Wednesday to protest against the Covid pass mandate in what was the third such protest. Starting in Republic Square, the rally moved to the ring road, which was closed for a while, as the police tried to break up the crowd, including by using a water cannon.

The rally started in the city centre but since the parliament building was fenced off and police started restricting movement in near-by streets, the crowd moved to Celovška Street and continued all the way to the Ljubljana ring road, blocking traffic as it progressed accompanied by a police helicopter.

Police used a water cannon and according to media reports also tear gas to disperse the crowd, which however turned back towards the city centre again and continued rallying in Republic Square. Now, most of the protesters have dispersed.

The Ljubljana police department said the protesters had been asked to leave the site for their own security.

The protesters opposing the recovered-vaccinated-tested (PCT) requirement today raised the issue of the death of a 20-year-old, who died within a fortnight after receiving a shot of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Her father addressed the crowd.

The rally demanded immediate lifting of the PCT requirement and immediate government resignation.

Protesters were also critical of media reporting, and obstructed some journalist crews reporting from the scene, including the teams of commercial TV stations Kanal A and POP TV. They were throwing different objects at them and spat on them. A security guard accompanying the teams sustained light injuries.

A group of protesters also stopped in front of the building of public broadcaster RTV Slovenija, where police also used the water cannon.

The Slovenian Association of Journalists (DNS) responded by urging people to respect the work of journalists in the field and not put them in danger, as they are merely doing their job. It also called on media outlets and police to provide for the safety of journalist crews working in the field.

The Association of Journalists and Commentators (ZNP) also expressed concern over the violence against journalists, saying it had become a regular feature at protests. Since cameras recorded the attack on the journalist crews today, the ZNP expects police to find the perpetrator and take appropriate action.

Prime Minister Janez Janša commented on the events on Twitter by saying that attacks, threats and violations of Covid-19 rules were not the constitutional right to assembly. "The leadership of the Ljubljana police is obviously not capable of preventive action, it's time for the Interior Ministry to take action," he tweeted.

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