ZAGREB, Sept 5: Tens of thousands of people took to the streets in Croatia on Saturday, demanding urgent action to remove a massive stockpile of illegally dumped hazardous waste that has raised concerns over possible environmental and public health risks.
The protest centred on the town of Gospic, where around 37,000 metric tonnes of waste remains at an abandoned industrial site months after authorities uncovered the alleged illegal dumping operation. Much of the material is reportedly buried underground.
The rally has intensified criticism of Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic’s government, which has come under growing pressure over its handling of the waste crisis.
The scandal emerged last February when Croatian police, working with Europol, arrested 13 people suspected of illegally importing and disposing of hazardous material. Europol said the group had generated at least 4 million euros in illicit profits.
Residents of Gospic say the authorities have failed to remove any of the waste more than a year after the case came to light. The material reportedly includes discarded electronic equipment, plastics, construction debris and medical waste.
An expert report released last month by Croatia’s anti-corruption agency USKOK found elevated concentrations of metals in soil at the affected location. It also reported the presence of PFAS compounds, commonly referred to as “forever chemicals”, in groundwater.
Demonstrators in Zagreb called on the government to establish a detailed timetable for the complete remediation of the contaminated locations. They also demanded an immediate halt to the import of waste into Croatia.
Vjekoslav Busic, a member of the “Gospic Is Our Home” initiative that organised the demonstration, said residents had been raising concerns about suspected illegal activities since 2023.
He criticised the authorities for failing to remove any of the hazardous material from the town.
Protester Ivan Rittinger accused those responsible of deliberately exploiting the situation for financial gain and alleged that officials had ignored warning signs.
“This is not a tragedy. This is a crime,” he said.
USKOK is investigating a Croatian company over allegations that illegal waste was buried at multiple locations across the country. The largest quantity was reportedly discovered in Gospic.
The government has maintained that investigations are continuing alongside efforts to address the waste problem.
Officials have also said that several soil and water tests conducted in Gospic did not show contamination. Authorities plan to temporarily cover the site to shield it from rainwater while a selected company begins removing part of the waste and a longer-term cleanup strategy is developed.
Plenkovic has rejected accusations against his government, saying political opponents are exploiting the issue to create unnecessary fear among the public.
Environmental experts, however, have warned that the potential consequences could extend beyond the immediate area. Gospic lies in a karst landscape characterised by porous and fractured terrain, raising concerns that pollutants could travel through groundwater and waterways towards the Adriatic Sea.
The town has a population of roughly 12,000 and is located in a region known for its forests, lakes and rivers, as well as its proximity to a nature park.
According to the initial Europol findings, a significant portion of the waste brought to Gospic had originated in other European Union countries, including Italy, Slovenia and Germany.
At Saturday’s demonstration in central Zagreb, protesters waved Croatian flags and held banners carrying messages such as “When if not now” and “The lungs of Croatia have trouble breathing.”
Zeljka Sikic, from Gospic, thanked those who joined the rally and said residents felt they had been abandoned to what she described as an “eco-mafia.”
Zagreb resident Suzane Maria Flander said access to unpolluted natural resources should be considered a fundamental right.
The protesters are now seeking firm government deadlines, complete removal of the hazardous material and stronger controls on waste imports as pressure mounts for authorities to resolve the environmental crisis.