Slovenia has risen: 100 thousand people took over Ljubljana
Cover photo: Nikita Xever
After 18 months of particularly repressive corona policy, on the 29th of September, the people of Slovenia took over their capital city, Ljubljana. Official sources counted 10 thousand people, while the number on the street is ten times higher, 100 thousand awaken people are finished with corona policy and are partly or fully immune to vaccine propaganda. Approximately half of the population refuses the jab, and from the middle of September, they are facing discriminatory RVT (recovered-vaccinated-tested) rule officially on almost every step they take.*
Photo: © Nikita Xever
People gathered in front of the parliament in the middle of the day and later walked through the city to the north to the highway, where they stopped the traffic for some short time. After that, they returned to the parliament. The police used water cannon and tear gas as people rallied to the highway, which was mentioned in foreign media, here and here, and on the social network, along with the fact that it was an anti-corona measures protest. It wasn’t mentioned that many people said the police generally acted in correct adittude and didn’t take any steps until ‘necessary.’
People gathered in front of the parliament. Photo: © Nikita Xever
More great photos here, here and here. And video here.
What were the reasons
The political authority unsuccessfully tried to intruduce RV (recovered-vaccinated) rule for public employees, hopefully for more than just for now, as the Constitutional Court blocked the government plan, but also stated: temporarily. Paradoxically, the official ruling representative claims that this was not a try to mandate vaccination.
The mass gathering also followed the most likely vaccination-related death of a young woman who was given Janssen. Consequentially Slovenia stopped vaccination with Janssen, but also here they stated: temporarily.
What is the meaning of this: temporarily? It’s not really reassuring word, and in a country where the minister for Public Administration states; that no matter the ruling of the Constitutional Court about (in the time being fallen) RV rule policy, they will search for the way to vaccinate targeted employees; the word temporarily gets a particular underlying tone.
And on top of this, they did order new doses of Janssen just in this time.
And on top of the top of the previous sentence, they have vaccinated 263 minors with vector vaccines registered only for use in adults. How could they just overlook the age?
It has to be mentioned, side effects are officially very rare in Slovenia since the formation of the state, only one compensation was ruled in connection with vaccine side effects.
Another important side of the protest
It’s overwhelming that people started to connect and co-operate in this so often ideologically divided country. Still, it would be far better if one non-parliament political party would remove their emblem because it’s people’s protest and many different groups, more likely civil initiatives that don’t identify themselves with that particular party. Many speakers are not members of that particular party, and in general, it’s not a political meeting of one party. It’s about people standing together, supporting each other, and connecting for a brighter future.
This. To say it once again, many speakers are not members, nor do they identify with the non-parliament party named Resni.ca. Is this a try to take over the protest movement? It’s not just theirs since there are other groups; it’s just that the other groups don’t try to enforce their emblems over the scene.
Source: FB page
Plus, that particular non-parliament party demands the RVT rule change into a recommendation. That is contrary to most of the people who demand to end corona policy. They also require early elections, which would be good for supposed opposition, but probably not for the people.
The Community of Civil Initiatives and Movements has better demands
The Community of Civil Initiatives and Movements (Skupnost Civilian Initiative in Gibanj Slovenije, from now on SCIG), on the other hand, has more determined demands and not to mention they have formulated their political stance much earlier, this particular link is from 29th of July, 2021. But these kinds of demands existed much earlier, though under other civil initiatives later formatted to SCIG.
The demands of Community of Civil Initiatives and Movements are:
Ending of covid measures
Opening of mainstream media platform
Respecting the 3rd Article of the Constitution according to which the people have the power
- to restore all referendum rights, - to restore independence (abolition of Article 3.a)
Source: FB page of SCIG
*More about implementation or at least for now not really implementation of the RTV rule is here, where the link to the percentage of fully vaccinated is also available. Considering that the percentage of fully vaccinated was somewhere less than half at the end of August, we can assume that the other half didn’t or doesn’t want to roll up their sleeves.)