Zagreb police reported on Thursday morning that five people have been arrested for passive resistance at the start of the construction works on a future underground parking garage, which is envisaged within the Cvjetni Prolaz project of the private HOTO Grupa led by CEO Tomo Horvatincic.
Early Thursday morning, police started making arrests in Varšavska Street, arresting sit-in activists. Amongst the 140 arrests made so far are City Council members Josip Kregar, Jurica Meić, Dan Špiver and attorney Slobodan Budak. Right to the City activists Urša Raukar and Teodor Celakoski were arrested this morning at 5:30 AM, while Green Action activist Tomislav Tomašević and Vili Matula were arrested at 10 AM and noon, respectively.
According to official figures from the Zagreb Police Department, some 130 arrests have been made. Spokeswoman Jelena Bikić told tportal that arrestees are being held in a number of police stations.
The legally permitted holding period is twelve hours, but it is still too early to say what will happen when the deadline passes, said Bikić. Asked whether the arrest of Slobodan Budak, Green Action's attorney, was in violation of police authority, Bikić said that she was not aware of the names of the arrested, only their number.
Police have closed down Gundulićeva Street up to where the street intersects with Masarykova. The site foreseen for the construction of the entrance to the garage has been sealed off by a fence set up by the investor, while police have set up a perimeter around that fence.
Right to the City and Green Action activists continue to call on citizens to join them in their protest.
Head of Green Action Tomislav Tomašević, who was arrested this morning at 10 AM, says that they had requested that City Council, which controls the Zagreb Holding, keep municipal companies such as Zrinjevac from participating in works in Varšavska. 'Today it happened, Zrinjevac came in and cut down the trees and this is City Council's fault,' Tomašević told Hina.
