2020 Slovenian protests

The 2020 Slovenian protests are ongoing mostly peaceful protests against Janez Janša's government. Protests are held every Friday in the capital city of Ljubljana, they started during lockdown with people displaying banners and flags on their windows and balconies. At the end of April protests moved to the streets with most people being on bicycles.[1] At the end of October Friday protestors cancelled further street protest due to spread of COVID-19 but they continued to protest from their homes. In November two new groups who are not associated with Friday protestors staged street protests and caused violence. Police used tear gas and water cannons in intervention against those protestors. [2]

2020 Slovenian protests
Police clashes with protestors on 12th of June
Date13 March 2020 - ongoing
Location
Slovenia
Caused by
  • Accusations of Janez Janša's usurping of power
  • Allegations of corruption
  • Mismanagement of the COVID-19 epidemic
  • Janez Janša's "Orbanization" of Slovenia
  • Lack of media freedom
  • Government's attacks on environmental groups
  • Increased military spending
  • Tax reform
  • Healthcare privatization
Goals
Methods
Parties to the civil conflict

OPS - Aware people of Slovenia organization

Anonymous Slovenia
Lead figures
none Janez Janšanone
Number
7500 - 10000
  • Unknown number of policemen
  • 80 Yellow Vests
  • 8 Blood and Honour members
~500
Casualties
Injuries1 journalist

2+ OPS protestors

15 policeman
Arrested8 Friday protestors, 10 OPS protestors
DamageSeveral buildings damaged

Cause of protests

Janez Janša has been accused of eroding freedom of media since assuming office. According to a report by International Press Institute Slovenia has experienced a swift downturn in media and press freedom. IPI accused Janša of creating hostile environment for journalists by his tweets, which IPI described as "vitriolic attacks".[1][3] He has also been accused of usurping of power and corruption. He is often compared to Orban because of his authoritarianism. [4] [5]

Timeline

March

After formation of 14th government of Slovenia people started displaying flags and banners on the balconies and windows. Street protests were not organized in March because of COVID-19 pandemic.

April

On 27th of April first street protests occurred in Ljubljana, Maribor, and few smaller cities. Protests were organized by facebook group "Resistance to government of Slovenia".[6]

May

On 1st of May around 3,500 cyclist held a peaceful protest in Ljubljana.

On 8th of May around 7,000 people, mostly on bicycles protested in front of National Assembly Building. Former prime minister Marjan Šarec showed sympathies towards protestors, he also said that protests were organized by activists and not by politicians.[7]

On the night of 14th of May police placed a fence in front of national assembly. Next day protestors jumped over the fence and wrote "our property" inside the fenced area. Youth for Climate Justice environmental group joined today's protests. One person was arrested. [8]

On 22nd of May protest was held in front of National Assembly Building, environmental groups joined the protests.[9]

On 29th of May, protestors turned their back to National Assembly and stood in silence for 2 minutes. Few protestors were fined for writing with chalk on sidewalk, including theater director Jaša Jenull. Police estimated that around 5,000 people gathered on the protest while some estimated number of 10,000. [10]

June

On 5th of June many protestors started writing with chalk on sidewalk like few last Friday, police decided to not fine protestors anymore. [11]

On 12th of June protestors built paper airplanes and threw them at the police officers who were guarding fenced area in front of National Assembly. On paper planes was a writing, reading "Death to Janšism, freedom to everyone" (a play on words on popular anti-Axis resistance slogan), this slogan was also shouted by some of the protestors. Around 8 PM local time, police clashed with protestors who tried to remove fence which was place in front of National Assembly, some protestors jumped over the fence but they didn't manage reach the National Assembly. Seven people were detained, they were taken to the police station and fined. Among those who jumped over the fence was artist Jaša Mrevlje Pollak, he was arrested and held in police van, he was released after 30 minutes with no criminal charges. [12] [13] [14]

On 19th of June peaceful protests were held in Ljubljana, Maribor and Celje. Protestors called police to join them. [15]

On 25th of June, Statehood day of Slovenia 2 hours before national celebration, protestors organized "alternative celebration". Protestors were met by around 30 anti-protestors in yellow vests, police created corridor between two groups to prevent their confrontation. These anti-protestors called themselves "yellow vests" [16] Eight of anti-protestors were later identified to be members Slovenian neo-Nazi group Blood & Honour.

On 26th of June on peaceful protests in Ljubljana protestors put chains on hands of France Prešeren statue, symbolizing decreasing civil liberty in Slovenia. [17]

July

During whole July no incidents occurred on the protests.

On 3rd of July pro government anti-protestors yellow vests again showed up in counter of peaceful protest in Ljubljana, almost 100 organizations and initiatives have strongly condemned yellow vests' rally. Yellow vests told the media that they want "to prevent coup". From this day onward yellow vests were present as anti-protestors on every protest. [18]

On 10th of July after a long time National Assembly wasn't fenced for the protest but there was large police presence. [19]

On 17th of July protestors created "protest Protest people's assembly" in order to establish clearer demands. [20]

On 24th of July some protestors gathered earlier to protest for women's rights and express support for MeToo movement. Protest people's assembly continued to form demands and made expectations for future of Slovenia. [21]

On 31st of July, protestors made a giant puppet of Janez Janša to mock him. Protest people's assembly made 245 proposals, ideas and demands about change in education, health, changes in electoral legislation, workers' rights and environmental protection. [22]

August

There were no incidents on protests during August.

On 7th of August protests started in coastal town of Izola after a report that town paid two hotel rooms for Agriculture Minister Aleksandra Pivec. Protests continued in Ljubljana. [23]

On 14th of August protest was significantly smaller due to heavy rain. Government has announced that it will increase military spending that week which protestors on Friday described as "theft" and have strongly opposed. [24]

On 21st of August peaceful protest was held in Ljubljana. In speeches protestors talked about rise of authoritarianism in their country. [25]

On 28th of August protestors focused on environmental issues, protest took place in front of National Assembly and building of Ministry of Environment. [26]

Writing placed by the protestors on the entrance of Ministry of Finance, it reads "Ministry for the Rich", (Slovenian: Ministrtsvo za bogate). On the bottom right corner text "MAO" can be seen, it is abbreviation for Youth Activist Organization

September

On 4th of September protestors were peaceful, in speeches protestors again called for resignation of the entire government and encouraged people who encounter corruption at work to become whistleblowers. [27] [28]

On 11th of September "flame of protest" was lit as symbol of resistance, speakers of the protest criticized opposition parties for shifting towards Janšism. They asked oppositions leaders what will they do to change the government, saying that if they refuse to answer they will remember that. Protest ended with no incidents. [29]

On 18th of September protestors carrying torches surrounded the National Assembly and shouted "We are the State" and "Streets are ours". Police on horseback guarded both front and back entrances of the National Assembly. Despite the tensions protest ended without incidents. [30]

On 25th of September protestors focused on economic issues and new tax reform which will make rich pay lower taxes. They placed large writing over the entrance of ministry of finance reading "Ministry for the rich". Protestors also pointed out that during COVID-19 crisis privileges for the rich have increased. [31]

October

On 2nd of October protest took place in front Ministry of Health. They called Slovenian public healthcare catastrophic and demanded reform, they said that government has been privatizing healthcare and making it closer to the elite. [32]

On 9th of October protestors gathered at Prešeren Square, police started removing them from the square over violations of the decree limiting public gatherings, police also IDed the protestors. Demonstrators called police's action repression and disgrace, activist Jaša Jenull said that protestors were responsible: wore face masks and kept safe distance. Some organizations claimed that police used excessive force and demanded public apology and clarification of the events. Police has denied those claims, and general director of the police Andrej Jurič said that police only performed their task of maintaining public order and peace. Six people were detained but were released without criminal charges. [33][34][35][36]

On 16th of October police presence was increased because of incidents on previous Friday, protests were peaceful and have ended without incidents. [37]

On 23rd of October handful of protestors gathered despite complete ban on movement and public gatherings, they were monitored by the police. There were no incidents, but the police IDed 11 people. After this protest further Friday street protests have been cancelled due to increased number of people infected with COVID-19 in Slovenia, activist said that people should protest from their homes. [38] [39]

On 29th of October protest was held on Thursday in support of Polish protests.

November

During November Friday protests were not held due spread of COVID-19, instead Friday protestors started protesting from homes. However new group of conspiracy theorists who do not believe in COVID-19 started staging protests.

On 5th November members of OPS (Aware People of Slovenia, Slovenian: "Osveščeni prebivalci Slovenije") and Anonymous Slovenia groups organized protest. OPS members believe COVID-19 is a conspiracy and that it doesn't exist. Anonymous Slovenia group distanced itself from OPS, members of Anonymous Slovenia group also wore face masks. Ljubljana police department was reinforced by police departments from other cities and by special police unit of Slovenia. OPS members gathered around 5 PM, and soon attacked the police with torches, stones and pyrotechnics and police responded with tear gas and water cannons. Protestors at one point tried to storm into National Assembly but were unsuccessful. Around 8 PM police started to surround the protestors and managed to clear the Prešeren Square around 9:30 PM. Fifteen policeman were injured, two protestors were severely injured, one journalist was injured as well. Protest people's assembly of Friday protestors said that government attempted to us these riots to link violence to cyclist protestors who have protested peacefully for months, they also said that they believe those riots were staged by the government. [2][40][41][42][43][44]

Protest groups

There are currently three groups in Slovenia that protest against the government but they do not collaborate and even oppose each other. Those are Friday cyclist protestors, OPS - Aware People of Slovenia Organization and Anonymous Slovenia.

Friday cyclist protestors
Symbol of Friday cyclist protestors

First Friday protest was organized on 27th of April by Facebook group "Resistance to government of Slovenia" [6] Those protestors advocate for peaceful protest and most of them protest on bicycles but they accompanied by protestors on foot. [1] They protested on every Friday between 27th of April and 23rd of October when further protests were cancelled due to second wave of COVID-19 pandemic. [39] Multiple organizations are taking part of this protest most prominent being: Youth Activist Organization and Slovenian Antifa. On 17th of July those protestors created "Protest people's assembly", which by the end of July made 245 demands, proposals and ideas to the government focusing on social, economic, and environmental issues. [20] [22] Theater director and activist Jaša Jenull is the most prominent speaker of Friday protests. When Anonymous Slovenia announced that it will be staging the protest and OPS announced that it will join them, Friday protestors urged people not to go on that protest. Their symbol is the white bicycle sign on red Triglav symbol. [39]

OPS - Aware People of Slovenia Organization
Flag of OPS organization

OPS members believe in COVID-19 conspiracy theory, that the pandemic doesn't exist. They have so far organized only one protest on 5th of November and have called for violence against police. On the protest they threw granite blocks and pyrotechnics at the police. Two of their members got seriously injured while ten were arrested. [40][41]

Anonymous Slovenia

Anonymous Slovenia group is part of larger international Anonymous group. They were first to call for people to gather on protest on 5th of November and OPS later announced that they will join them. Anonymous Slovenia distanced itself from OPS when OPS announced that they will join them. On protest on 5th of November they wore Guy Fawkes masks and shouted "thieves" at the police in front of National Assembly. Once protests on 5th of November finished, Anonymous Slovenia spokesperson on twitter wrote “as we unfortunately expected, certain individuals or groups effectively discredited our protests”, they also insisted that they called people to protest peacefully. After Friday protestors urged people not to go on protest on 5th of November Anonymous Slovenia spokesperson on twitter called them "traitors" and called them out saying that they don't really want Janez Janša out of office. [41] [45]

References
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