Around 50,000 protest in Zagreb over 37,000 tonnes of illegal toxic waste in Gospić

Mass demonstration in Zagreb

Around 50,000 people gathered in the central square of Zagreb on Saturday to protest the handling of an illegal toxic waste site in central Croatia. The demonstration, named "Walk for Lika" after the mountainous region where the dump is situated, was organized by the civic initiative Gospić Is Our Home. Demonstrators arrived on buses from multiple parts of the country, carrying signs reading "The Lungs of Croatia Can No Longer Breathe" and "Nature Does Not Forgive". The organizers structured the rally as a non-partisan event, drawing participation from centre-left opposition members and nationalist political groups. Croatian actor Rade Šerbedžija attended the rally and addressed the responsibility of public officials.

I am here because I have to be here. It is our duty to stand up for our country. What has happened is a disgrace, and someone must be held accountable.

Origins of the dumping scheme

The protest centers on an abandoned industrial complex on the outskirts of Gospić, a town of approximately 12,000 residents located 200 kilometers southwest of Zagreb. Between 34,000 and 37,000 tonnes of industrial, plastic, electronic, construction, and medical waste were buried and mixed with soil at the location between 2022 and 2024. In February 2025, Croatian police cooperating with Europol arrested 13 people and opened investigations into four companies for illegally importing waste from Italy, Slovenia, and Germany. European investigators established that the scheme generated at least €4 million ($4.6 million) in illegal profits through forged documents that falsely declared hazardous materials as recyclable plastic.

Environmental findings and public demands

Tension escalated after an August report from Croatia's anti-corruption agency USKOK confirmed soil contamination beyond the industrial facility and detected per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in local groundwater. While government officials previously stated that municipal drinking water tests showed no contamination, the agency findings identified elevated heavy metal levels in the soil. Environmental experts cautioned that the permeable karst terrain could allow pollutants to filter toward the Adriatic Sea. Protest organizers issued a list of seven formal demands, requesting a comprehensive cleanup strategy within 20 days, a temporary ban on waste imports, and the full extraction of buried refuse within three months. Demonstrator Ivan Rittinger characterized the situation during the march.

This is not a tragedy, this is a crime.

Government response and cleanup plans

Prime Minister Andrej Plenković visited the Gospić site on Wednesday to announce that the government had selected a contractor to commence the initial cleanup phase. Plenković stated that municipal tap water remains safe to drink and promised that workers will cover the exposed waste by mid-October 2026 to prevent rainwater infiltration. Because Croatia lacks facilities capable of processing this category of hazardous material, the cabinet announced plans to export approximately 30,000 tonnes of the excavated waste abroad. The Croatian Parliament also passed a requirement for continuous monitoring of soil, air, and water quality, mandating a formal progress report from the government within 90 days.