Ljubljana – As MPs are discussing the tenth Covid relief legislative package on Monday, a group of people gathered in front of the parliament building in the morning to protest against Covid restrictions, saying that if passed, the latest anti-Covid bill would enable further restrictions on human rights.
At first, the rally in front of the fenced-off building was peaceful. Police then asked the protesters to leave the fenced-off area of Republic Square, but some of the protesters did not heed the call and refused to leave, which led to a scuffle with the police.
There was a heavy police presence at the area throughout the protest, including special police and mounted police units. Police in-car surveillance camera system was also used.
The head of the Resni.ca (Truth) party Zoran Stevanović, one of the prominent faces of rallies against coronavirus measures and vaccination who has been urging people to attend them, was spotted among the protesters. Ahead of today’s protest, his party again called on people on Facebook to join the rally.
Stevanović told the Top News portal that the protest “would like to create the impression among MPs that many people do not support the emergency law”. The protesters oppose the legislation because, among other things, they fear it creates a basis for introducing mandatory vaccination, he said.
A segment of the protesters also marched to the Constitutional Court, where some of them again clashed with police officers.
The protesters then walked along Celovška Street to Prešeren Square, where they stopped briefly in front of the building housing the National Institute of Public Health. Throughout their journey through the streets of Ljubljana, the protesters were accompanied by a large number of police officers.
Most of the protesters then dispersed, while a small number of them returned to the parliament building, where they continue to express their opposition to the latest anti-Covid package. A number of people were detained by the police during the rally.
