Zagreb Protesters Rally Against Toxic Waste from Italy

Tens of thousands of people gathered on Saturday in Zagreb's main square for a protest called the Walk for Lika, one of the largest gatherings in Croatia in recent years.

Participants protested the government's failure to begin removing tens of thousands of metric tons of waste in central Croatia, which environmentalists say is polluting drinking water, soil and air.

Last year, authorities uncovered 34,000 to 37,000 metric tons of waste near the town of Gospic in the mountainous Lika region. Most of it was imported from Italy in 2023 and 2024. Environmentalists say the waste also includes medical and industrial waste, and accuse the government of acting too slowly.

Internationally renowned Croatian actor Rade Serbedzija also attended the rally, declaring that it is everyone's duty to stand up for the country and that someone must take responsibility for the situation.

Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic announced on Wednesday that the government had selected a contractor for the first phase of cleaning up the site.

(Reuters, max)