17 Dec 2018 | 09:59 AM UTC
Croatia: Further “Yellow Sweatshirts” protests planned until January 5
The “Yellow Sweatshirts of Croatia” movement will hold further protests in the capital Zagreb and other cities until January 5; associated disruptions expected
Event
Protests held by the "Yellow Sweatshirts of Croatia" are scheduled to take place in the capital Zagreb every Saturday until January 5, 2019. Participants will gather at noon (local time) at Ban Jelacic Square. Further protests are also possible in other urban centers of the country. Localized transportation disruptions are expected, along with potential clashes between participants and police forces.
Context
Related protests took place on December 15 in Zagreb, Pula, and Rijeka. Minor scuffles occurred between protesters and police forces when the former attempted to invade a teachers' protests that was ongoing at the same time.
The "Yellow Sweatshirts of Coatia", also known as the "žuti prsluci" movement, was launched by the non-parliamentary party Slobodna Hrvatska. It is based on the associated "yellow vest" movement in France and Belgium.
The "yellow vest" movement launched protests in France on November 17 against rising fuel prices and a planned fuel tax. Hundreds of thousands of demonstrators have engaged in slow-rolling protests to block roads and highways in France and Belgium, causing significant traffic disruptions.
Advice
Individuals in Croatia are advised to follow all instructions issued by local authorities, allow for extra time to reach their destination, and avoid all protests as a precaution.
