Representatives of the HSUPM national federation of dairy farmers' associations on Thursday expressed their outrage at the arrest of 29 protesting farmers in Zagreb last night and demanded the resignation of Agriculture Minister Tihomir Jakovina.
They said that they would not come to negotiations which started on Wednesday and were set to continue today, announcing that protests would continue until their demands were met.
We want Prime Minister Zoran Milanovic to replace Agriculture Minister Jakovina, we don't believe him any more and don't want to negotiate with him, the HSUPM representatives told a news conference in Zagreb.
As for the arrest of 29 protesting farmers who yesterday used their tractors to block Slavonska Avenue, one of Zagreb's arterial roads, HSUPM representative Darko Pavicevic said that taking them to a police station was an act of gross violation of their human rights and democracy.
After spending the night in the police station, the protesters were released.
The protesting farmers denied a police report saying that some of the arrestees were drunk. According to a statement issued by the Zagreb police, all the arrested protestors, except for one who was under the influence of alcohol, were released on Thursday morning.
Representatives of the protesting farmers said today the arrests were made after the farmers withdrew their tractors, as agreed, to one lane of Slavonska Avenue.
The protesters insist that the purchase price of milk be in accordance with the average price in the European Union and that the state grant per kilogramme of milk be HRK 0.42.
The ZUSSB association of farmers in the eastern regions of Slavonia and Baranja today demanded the resignation of Interior Minister Ranko Ostojic over last night's arrest of protesting farmers.