Massive Protests Erupt in Zagreb as Thousands Demand Action on Toxic Waste Scandal

Tens of thousands of protesters marched through the Croatian capital on September 5, 2026, demanding that the government urgently clear a vast illegal dump of hazardous waste that residents say is poisoning the Lika region. Saturday’s demonstration in Zagreb stands as one of the largest protests Croatia has seen in years, fueled by public anger over authorities failing to remove more than 30,000 tonnes of medical and industrial waste buried near the town of Gospic.

The mounting outrage has transformed into a major challenge for Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic’s conservative government, with critics accusing officials of corruption and of covering up the severity of the pollution. Earlier in February, police and Europol arrested 13 individuals in connection with the illegal importation of the waste from elsewhere in the European Union since 2023, a scheme investigators estimate generated more than $4m before being exposed at an industrial site outside Gospic.

While Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic recently visited the site and announced that a contractor had been chosen to begin the cleanup, government assurances clash sharply with findings from Croatia’s anticorruption agency. Last month, the agency reported elevated metal levels in the soil and detected PFAS chemicals in nearby groundwater, contrasting with official claims that soil and water tests showed no contamination.

Gathering in Zagreb’s main square, demonstrators demanded a complete cleanup plan with binding deadlines within 20 days and the removal of all buried waste within three months. Protesters and organizers, including Vjekoslav Busic of the Gospic Is Our Home community group and demonstrator Ivan Rittinger, expressed deep distrust in official explanations, labeling the situation a crime rather than a tragedy.

The rally united lawmakers from various political backgrounds—including the Social Democratic Party and Most—alongside prominent figures such as Croatian actor Rade Serbedzija. Although environmental experts note that the damage has remained local so far, they warn that the region's porous terrain could eventually threaten rivers and the Adriatic Sea. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic has dismissed the backlash as politically motivated, even as prosecutors continue investigating a Croatian company linked to the illegal dumping at multiple sites.