Božinović says it matters that Saturday protest passed without police intervention

Interior Minister Davor Božinović did not reveal police estimates for the number of people who attended Saturday's “Walk for Lika, Walk for Croatia” protest. Instead, he stressed that the event ended without police intervention.

“The protest on Saturday passed without police intervention, which is very important and proves that everything went well, in line with the fact that we live in a democratic state,” Božinović said. Asked about the size of the crowd, he said police had not published such figures for some time and that he was interested only in figures showing how many interventions were required.

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The protest on Saturday passed without police intervention, which is very important and proves that everything went well, in line with the fact that we live in a democratic state.

Božinović also addressed the protesters' messages and the government's handling of waste. He said work to remediate the waste was under way and argued that the government would make the right decisions during crises. “I understand the dissatisfaction and anger, but on the other hand I know that this government, and it has proved this, is the only one in Croatia capable of resolving this issue,” he said.

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I understand the dissatisfaction and anger, but on the other hand I know that this government, and it has proved this, is the only one in Croatia capable of resolving this issue.

He also discussed concerns among residents of Zaprešić after the local company Tabak grupa received a contract to handle 650 tonnes of non-hazardous waste from the site of the former PPK Velebit factory in Gospić. Božinović said the work and public communication about its plans must be professional and transparent.

At a ceremony marking the founding of the Lučko Counter-Terrorist Unit, he said investigations into the recent catastrophic fire in Omiš were still under way and that additional expert examinations were being conducted. Asked why police had not opened an internal investigation into alleged pressure by the head of Šibenik traffic police against an officer who reported Anna Dujić in the “Monsters” affair, Božinović said the material gathered on the prosecutor's orders was with the state attorney's office, which had yet to make a decision.

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It is important that everything being done is professional and transparent, including communication with the public about what is planned and how.