20,000 Protest Against Goverment On May Day

Over 20,000 people protested on Zagreb’s main square on Wednesday demanding a ‘change of direction’ from the current government. The May Day (Labour Day) protests attracted trade unionists from all over the country, many of whom travelled overnight to get to the capital Zagreb.

The rally not only was an attack at the current government and its policies, but also at the leading opposition party in the country, the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ).

“This country needs a third political force that will be able to turn on the light at the end of the tunnel,”said union leader Vilim Ribic, adding that the Prime Minister Zoran Milanovic’s government had betrayed everyone except bankers, the International Monetary Fund and big business, and stressed that workers did not need a government like this. Protestors demanded a “Change of course” and policies put in place to fix the atrocious unemployment situation which sits at around 360,000 unemployed currently.