Croatia witnesses massive protest in capital Zagreb against COVID-19 restrictions

Croatia witnessed a massive protest on Wednesday as a crowd of small business owners gathered to oppose the ongoing COVID-19 restrictions. The demonstration was prompted after a business owner named Andrija Klaric was detained by the capital police last week as he opened his gym to protest against the restrictions imposed by the government to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Thousands of protesters claimed that the restrictions are "discriminatory" and demanded that the the government must lift them so they could return to work. 

Read: Croatia: Floating LNG Terminal On Krk Becomes Operational

Protesters gathered at a square in the capital Zagreb and called for the resignation of Economy Minister Tomislav Coric. Klaric was also present at the rally, where he addressed the crowd, who were chanting his name to show solidarity. Klaric, who could face a prison sentence for violating restrictions, told the gathering, "together we will make the authorities realise that they can't take away our freedoms". The crowd, wearing face masks, demanded they be allowed to return to work with health safety protocols in place. 

Read: Video Shows Ground 'literally Bouncing' As 6.4 Magnitude Quake Jolts Croatia | Watch

The ongoing COVID-19 restrictions in Croatia requires restaurants, gyms, and bars to remain shut completely until further instructions from the authorities. The government shut down these businesses three months ago to curb the spread of the disease. However, the shutdown has affected many small business owners in the country, who are on the verge of losing everything because of the financial losses incurred due to the restrictions. The government has failed to provide any assistance and they still have to pay their rents. 

Read: Croatia: 7 Killed As 6.4 Magnitude Earthquake Jolts Country, EU Offers Help

COVID-19 situation in Croatia

Croatia has recorded more than 2,32,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases to date, of which over 5,000 people have lost their lives. Although the daily infection rate in Croatia has significantly dropped from its peak in early December, authorities don't want to take any risk by easing restrictions because of the new emerging variants. Croatia recorded 387 new cases on Wednesday as compared to over 4,000 on December 12. Croatia has started the vaccination drive in the country with more than 83,000 doses administered so far. 

Read: Croatia Steps Up Virus Restrictions Amid Spike

(Image Credit: AP)