40,000 Protest in Zagreb Over Illegal Toxic Waste

Approximately 40,000 people marched through Zagreb on September 5 to demand the cleanup of illegal toxic waste sites across Croatia. The demonstrations were triggered by the discovery of an estimated 35,000 tonnes of hazardous waste dumped in the town of Gospić between 2022 and 2024.

The Government of Croatia has opened two public procurement procedures for waste disposal, but activists claim progress is insufficient. The Croatian Institute of Public Health confirmed that groundwater near the Gospić site contains PFAS forever chemicals, while soil samples showed elevated levels of lead and copper.

Law enforcement action began in February 2025 when police arrested 13 individuals linked to a criminal network. This network illegally imported waste from Italy, Slovenia, and Germany, generating more than €4 million in profit. Europol identified the primary suspects as high-value targets.

The Gospić is our home movement is now calling for the urgent removal of buried waste and the creation of a formal government strategy to address all national waste hotspots. Due to the perceived lack of government action, activists plan to extend their protests to the European Parliament in Brussels.