Thousands of people took to the streets in Zagreb to protest the government’s failure to begin clearing more than 30,000 tonnes of waste in central Croatia. Reuters reports, according to UNN.
Tens of thousands of people gathered in Zagreb’s central square on Saturday to protest the government’s failure to begin clearing more than 30,000 tonnes of waste in central Croatia, which environmentalists say is contaminating drinking water in the area
The protest, one of the largest in Croatia in several years, was called the “March for Lika,” after the mountainous region where the waste is stored.
Last year, authorities discovered between 34,000 and 37,000 tonnes of waste, much of it imported from Italy in 2023 and 2024, at a landfill near the town of Gospić in Croatia’s Lika region. The government promised to clear the landfill, but environmental groups say little progress has been made.
Environmentalists claim that the waste, which they say includes medical and other industrial waste, is polluting the air, soil and water in Lika, a region known for its vast areas of pristine nature. They accuse the government of acting too slowly to remove it.
Protesters carried banners reading: “The lungs of Croatia can no longer breathe,” “Stop destroying Croatia,” and “Nature does not forgive.”
We would like to remind you
A waste landslide in the municipality of Gbesia following overnight heavy rains buried buildings. Six people were seriously injured, while another 16 suffered minor injuries.