Croatian Anti-Military Protest Moved From Ministry

The Croatian leftist group "Workers' Front" told BIRN on Wednesday that their protest on Saturday "Against Militarisation" had been moved from in front of the Defence Ministry in Zagreb by the police.

On Tuesday, the Front said the Zagreb police had denied permission for the protest - first announced on Facebook on Monday - against reintroducing compulsory military service, much discussed in public in the last few weeks, calling it a move towards the militarisation of society.

The police said they denied permission for the rally because another gathering was to take place on the same square, organised by an independence war veterans' organisation, the Association of the Croatian Defenders, which supports reintroducing military service.

Denis Geto, from the Front, told BIRN that the police had apparently "changed their mind" on allowing the protest or "were afraid about the image created by the media reports".

"We contacted the police today [Wednesday] and they instructed us to file another plea for permission to hold the protest on the south part of the square, divided by the big road running in the middle of the square. So the group organising a gathering in support [of military service] will be in front of the ministry, while we'll be further back," he said.

Geto said the previous decision to ban their protest was strange since the square is "big enough for both gatherings", while the police are responsible for maintaining order between such gatherings.

He noted that only the Interior Minister can ban a public gathering if it is notified at last two days in advance.

Geto said he suspected the planned rally in support of military service was "used as an alibi to prevent our protest, or officials got confused".