New Details On Quadruple Murder in Sibenik, Killer Used Chinese Kalashnikov
February 1, 2021 – At today's press conference, the Sibenik police released new details about quadruple murder in Sibenik, revealing that the killer used the Chinese version of a Kalashnikov.
The Šibenik police held a press conference today on the quadruple murder and suicide in Šibenik and Vodice on Saturday, January 30, 2021. The Chief of the Šibenik-Knin Police Administration, Ivica Kostanić, opened the conference by explaining the case's chronology.
Kalashnikov procured illegally
"At 12:56 pm, we received a report that a dead man was found in a Mercedes in Vodice. We found him with gunshot wounds. The ambulance informed us about three more dead people on the South Highway. It was determined that they had gunshot wounds. An arrest warrant has been issued for the perpetrator.
During the inspection at 18:22, we received a report that a vehicle had been seen in the Vodice area. The report was from the citizens, and I have to thank the citizens for their help. The suspect's body was dead in the vehicle.
We determined that he used a 7.62 caliber weapon, the Chinese version of the Kalashnikov. He killed three people near Šibenik and then drove towards Vodice in the car of the murdered 60-year-old. He parked in front of the store of the injured 47-year-old. When he came out, he fired shots at him from the same weapon. Then he drove the Škoda outside Vodice, got out of the vehicle two kilometers away, and killed himself with the same weapon.
In addition to that weapon, he possessed a pistol, a rifle with optics, and 302 pieces of ammunition. We have determined that the motives are of a business nature and related to the pre-bankruptcy procedure," said Kostanić.
He added that the perpetrator acquired and owned the Kalashnikov and all other weapons illegally, and they are now investigating how. Kostanić also denied the possibility that there was any indication that the killer would commit this crime because there was no farewell letter.
Motive of the murder – business relationship
"By reviewing the documentation and interviews, we determined that the motive for the crime was a business relationship between the suspect and the victims related to the bankruptcy proceedings against the suspect's company and the amount for which the suspect's real estate and movables were or should be sold," Kostanić said.
Bankruptcy proceedings are being studied. The criminal investigation continues in the establishing business relations and court proceedings at the Commercial Court in Zadar.
"These are all criminal offenses in the field of economic crime. Extensive documentation should be studied here, and, based on what we have established, we could fully explain the motive for the committed crime. The fact is that it was a business relationship and the consequences related to it," Kostanić said.
Suspect had his weapon confiscated earlier
The murder happened an hour after the three victims, and the killer met in a business meeting at a warehouse in Ražine. In Vodice, the killer came in front of the "Djelo" shopping center and waited for the fourth victim.
At the murder places near the warehouse in Ražine, the police found 16 shell casings of automatic weapons and 21 shell casings in the car of the 47-year-old. They found a CZ pistol and 125 pieces of ammunition, a silencer for an automatic rifle, and a knife in a holster in the vehicle of the person they presume to have killed.
In the Škoda, which was searched for on Saturday, the police found an automatic rifle with 28 rounds of ammunition and a hunting cartridge. In one of his houses, ammunition for a pistol, an air rifle with optics, and ammunition for a hunting rifle was found. Bankruptcy documentation was found in another house.
"Although he was a hunter, his weapon was illegal and was previously confiscated due to domestic violence. In 2009, the weapon was confiscated. In 2014 it was returned. However, in 2018, the weapon was confiscated again due to the threat to one person. No elements were identified then, but when the police entered the house, they found that the weapons were kept inconsistent with the law. And we filed a misdemeanor motion, and the proceedings were ongoing," the chief explained.
He added that the mentioned report for the threat had nothing to do with this event. It was about neighborly relations.
As TCN reported earlier, a 47-year-old businessman from Šibenik was killed in Vodice. A 42-year-old businessman, a 61-year-old bankruptcy trustee, and her 62-year-old husband were killed in Šibenik. The suspected 57-year-old businessman was found dead after the murder.
Source: Index
Croatia Will Get Russian Vaccine If It Asks for It, Says Ambassador
ZAGREB, 1 February, 2021 - Croatia will get the Russian COVID-19 vaccine if it asks for it, Russian Ambassador Andrey Nesterenko said in an interview with the Monday issue of the Večernji List daily.
EU countries, including Croatia, have been having difficulty obtaining pre-ordered vaccines and Russia is willing to provide 100 million doses in the second quarter, as confirmed to the daily by Ambassador Nesterenko.
Even though Croatia has still not officially asked Russia for the vaccine, Nesterenko says that the head of a research group at Zagreb's Ruđer Bošković Institute, Dragomira Meichen, is Croatia's representative on the international scientific council for the Sputnik V vaccine and that the platform for consultations with Croatian experts already exists.
Sputnik V has a number of advantages that greatly simplify the delivery of the vaccine worldwide - it is stored at temperatures ranging from 2 to 8 degrees Celsius, which makes it possible to keep it in an ordinary refrigerator, and the price per dose is less than US$ 10, which makes the vaccine affordable for many countries, the diplomat said.
The ambassador also said that the Russian vaccine could play an important role in the fight against the pandemic and be used in UN missions.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres has therefore expressed hope that the World Health Organisation would approve the vaccine as soon as possible, the diplomat said.
He noted that Russia had so far received orders for the purchase of 1.2 billion doses of the vaccine from more than 50 countries.
Nesterenko added that the vaccine was being actively used in Russia, with vaccination conducted not only in hospitals but also in shopping malls and other venues. He added that a centre for the vaccination of foreign nationals had been opened in Moscow and that some of the foreign ambassadors serving in Russia had been vaccinated with Sputnik V.
Croatia's COVID-19 Update: 94 New Cases, 27 Fatalities
ZAGREB, 1 February, 2021 - In the last 24 hours Croatia has registered 94 new coronavirus cases and 27 related deaths, the national coronavirus response team reported on Monday.
A total of 1,881 people have been tested for the novel virus in the last 24 hours.
The number of active cases currently stands at 2,551 and 1,288 patients are hospitalised, of whom 98 are on ventilators.
Since 25 February 2020, when the first case of the infection was confirmed in the country, 232,520 people have been infected with the virus and of them, 5,054 have died.
A total of 224,915 people have recovered, including 439 in the last 24 hours.
Currently 14,303 people are self-isolating and so far a total of 1,193,006 people have been tested.
Fewer than 100 Patients on Ventilators in Croatia for First Time Since November
February 1, 2021 - The Croatian Civil Protection Headquarters announced there were fewer than 100 patients on ventilators in Croatia, a figure we haven't seen since November 2, 2020.
Jutarnji List reports that in the last 24 hours, 94 new SARS-CoV-2 virus infection cases were recorded, and the number of active cases in Croatia today is 2551, the National Civil Protection Headquarters reported.
Among them, 1288 patients are in hospital, of which 98 are on ventilators.
Twenty-seven people died.
Since February 25, 2020, when the first case of infection was recorded in Croatia, 232,520 people infected with the coronavirus have been documented to date, of whom 5,054 have died, a total of 224,915 have recovered, of which 439 in the last 24 hours.
There are currently 14,303 people in self-isolation.
To date, 1,193,006 people have been tested, of which 1,881 in the last 24 hours.
There hasn't been such a small number of new infections since September 28 last year.
"Today, we had 94 registered new cases and 1881 tested. This week we had a total of 3346 new cases. From January 25, we had 134 new cases out of 2423 tested, the week before 174 new cases out of 2369 tested. From January 19 to 25, we had 3926 cases, and this week we have 11.7 percent fewer new cases than in the week before.
The current incidence is 188.8, the highest is. in Sisak-Moslavina (330.4), and the lowest in Istria (55.1). According to the 14-day incidence rate, Croatia ranks seventh in the EU - Denmark, Cyprus, Hungary, Bulgaria, Finland, and Greece have a lower incidence, and others are higher. The total mortality rate per million people is 1217.7, which puts us in 20th place in the EU," said Krunoslav Capak, director of the CNIPH.
He also spoke about the vaccine.
"41,223 doses were used in health care, 35136 in nursing homes, 1694 in emergency services in Sisak-Moslavina, and the rest for civilians in Sisak-Moslavina County. Regarding side effects, HALMED publishes a list on their website, and by February 1, 430 suspected adverse reactions to Pfizer and 13 suspected for the Moderna vaccine were received. There were 26 allergic reactions to Pfizer, two of which were severe and the others milder. All other side effects related to Pfizer and Moderna are mild," said Capak.
Health Minister Vili Beros said that the curve regarding hospital care is on a downward trend.
"The number of patients on ventilators is below a hundred, and with yesterday's six new it is not as it seems. This is the first time since November 2 that we are under a hundred patients on ventilators," said Beroš.
He also said that the bigger picture should be considered because of the clinical pictures and new strains.
"At the Headquarters, during a daily conversation with epidemiologists, we look at all these elements, we watch the development of events to be ready for all scenarios," he said.
To read more about COVID-19 in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.
Croatian Population Growing Older, Demographic Crisis Worsening
February the 8th, 2021 - The Croatian demographic picture hasn't improved, and the Croatian population is only getting older.
As Gojko Drljaca/Novac writes, since the start of a new wave of emigration back in 2013 when Croatia joined the European Union, Slavonia, Sisak-Moslavina, Lika-Senj and Šibenik-Knin counties have been all but devastated, and earthquakes and even a pandemic have occurred. They will only make the situation worse, both in terms of domestic and cross-border migration. The elderly Croatian population is particularly vulnerable.
The pandemic only exposed all the sensibilities of an ''old'' Croatia. What can stop the emigration of the Croaian population from the areas affected by the earthquake now? How can we bring life back to the hinterland of Split-Dalmatia County? Is there a single recipe for Croatian demographic renewal at all, or should a whole set of measures be applied and implemented at all administrative levels? These are all problems and issues that were touched on in the panel discussion "Aging and Emigration" with Sanja Klempic Bogada, scientific advisor at the Centre for Migration and Demographic Research of the Institute for Migration and Ethnic Studies, and Kresimir Ivanda, a scientist from the Zagreb Faculty of Economics. The panel discussion "Aging and Emigration" is part of the Croatia of the New Generation project.
Aging and emigration are two factors that predetermine the demographic picture of Croatia in the future.
''We're at the top of the age indicator of the population, we can say that we are a very old nation not only in Europe but also in the world. Just over 20 percent of the Croatian population is 65 or older. Aging is a global trend, and not just in Europe as the oldest continent. Aging is a process that happens significantly faster in less developed countries. In Croatia, the negative aspects of aging are often highlighted, thus creating a rather negative image of older people. However, people over the age of 65 are very often resourceful and financially independent. Not all seniors are a huge burden to the state. In fact, this problem was generated by the fact that the state pursued the policy of early retirement and, regardless of the demographic picture, created a large number of retirees who left the labour market prematurely,'' warned Klempic Bogadi, while Kresimir Ivanda emphasised the impact of the age of the Croatian population:
''There's been a change in spending, changes in the way of investing in the areas which become depopulated and increased allocations for the costs of the pension, healthcare and social system. We're seeing a large shift in consumption, both in a public and a private sense, towards the elderly population. We have, therefore, on the one hand, increased costs, and on the other hand we have a changed structure of consumption. This problem of the nation's aging is linked to the increasingly pronounced problem of emigration.
Today, the consequences of emigration are much more visible and stronger than they were back in the waves which occurred in Croatia 50-70 years ago. We used to have a much larger share of a young population, that is, labour reserves that we no longer have today. In the 1960s, there were five or more employees per retiree. Today, when we have only 1.4 employees per retiree, it's clear that every single emigrant is a bigger economic problem than they used to be. If we look at the scale of emigration, then and today, we're somewhere around the total number, but today's emigration will have more serious consequences,'' warned Ivanda.
Emigrants are a heterogeneous group, Klempic Bogadi added, but in principle it can be said that in the 1960s and 1970s, most people left rural areas and were mostly made up of unskilled labour.
''The former state somewhat limited the emigration of the well-educated Croatian population. However, in that period in the 1960s and 1970s, Croatia was filled with immigrants from Bosnia and Herzegovina, who made up for the loss of the population. Today, people of different profiles are emigrating; highly educated people, and young people, but also older individuals. Croatia no longer has a "demographic stock" to import from Bosnia and Herzegovina. Demographic trends there are also negative and we can no longer count on solving part of the problem through migration from that neighbouring country. In addition, today's emigrants are different than they were back in the sixties because they only used to leave for temporary work, often coming back. The countries that received them calculated that they would stay only temporarily, they didn't try to integrate them. A significant part of these people still remained abroad, but today it's impossible to say how many emigrants plan to return at all when they leave. It's unclear what the long-term consequences will be,'' stated Klempic Bogadi.
Not everything about Croatian population issues is so black…
''Foreign currency remittances are growing from year to year. This means that connections are being maintained, and these remittances have an effect. Remittances are a kind of protective social network. After the crisis, from 2009 to 2013, these remittances had a very favourable effect on the Croatian economy, but during the expansion of the economy they often have the opposite effect because they usually go into current consumption. They may even slow down the employment of those who really do depend on these remittances. This has also been observed in other remittance-dependent countries, such as Mexico,'' Ivanda explained.
In a number of aging developed nations, the question is beginning to arise as to whether gross domestic product is an adequate measure of a country's performance. How does GDP measure success if a population which is too old limits growth?
''We can't measure everything in society through economic profit. Countries like Japan or Denmark have long since realised that they must adapt their economies to the needs of the elderly,'' said Klempic Bogadi, who sees the great potential of the so-called silver economy.
''We don't have too many old people, but we do have too few young people. It’s fantastic to live longer than we ever have before in history, but it will bring costs and challenges, and GDP will be hard to replace soon. Even with the aging Croatian population, GDP has a comparison function. We are, very old, as is Germany, but again we have very different levels of GDP,'' Ivanda said.
One of the key problems arising from the combined problems of an aging Croatian population is the sustainability of the pension system.
''Croatia, along with Italy, has the shortest expected working life. The average man is expected to have only 35 years of experience, and they go off o work in Sweden and the Netherlands for more than 42 years. Life expectancy has been extended and working life has been shortened. The key problem is therefore people leaving the labour market prematurely,'' stated Klempic Bogadi.
''Not only do we retire too early, but we enter the labour market too late. Between the ages of thirty and forty-five, we're comparable in employment to the rest of Europe, but not up to the age of thirty. In addition, the picture of the labour market after the age of 55 is particularly worrying… Approximately half of pensions are spent on full old-age pensions. All the others are some other categories. That isn't something that has only been occurring recently. That has been going on for about sixty years now. It isn't a solution if you push three people to retire and hire only one younger person,'' added Ivanda, who believes that in the future, we'll have more highly educated people in the labour market because they usually work for a longer time period.
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Marija Bubas: Croatia Expects Substantial Amount of AstraZeneca Vaccine
February the 1st, 2021 - Marija Bubas from the Croatian Institute of Public Health was a recent guest of Dnevnik N1 television, during which she discussed the ongoing pandemic and the vaccination plan.
As Index writes, Marija Bubas talked about easing the current anti-epidemic measures and Croatia's vaccination process. Despite the better epidemiological situation, she is not yet in favour of easing measures. Croatia has now surpassed 5,000 deaths from coronavirus, and Marija Bubas believes that this only goes to show that the novel virus has some of the worst consequences attached to it, not just long-term health issues.
"Our measures are helping against the spread of coronavirus"
"Our rate per million inhabitants is about 1,200 cases and we're in 20th place. That rate is significant in our country. There are other countries that are worse off, there are better ones, and it's a question of other comorbidities. Over 90 percent of deaths were the result of various comorbidities they already had when they became infected and which helped to make their struggle for life difficult and end terribly as the virus ravaged them.
It's also a fact that says that we should beware of coronavirus infections, especially now, in circumstances when there is more and more talk about the spread of new strains of this virus. The measures that are still in force and have been extended until the 15th of February are helping to prevent the spread of coronavirus as well as its new strains. Our number of hospitalised people, deaths and people on respirators is dropping from week to week,'' said Marija Bubašs
When it comes to the vaccine: You should take what comes first...
She said that the situation with the vaccine wasn't what they had previously expected, but that's why the vaccination plan was changed.
"There will be enough for everyone even though the pharmaceutical industry has reduced its deliveries. The vaccination plan had to be changed to meet the two-dose vaccination, which is a guarantee of protection against infection. Let's not forget that we had an earthquake in Sisak-Moslavina County where doses had to be redirected in order to quickly vaccinate the population that ended up without anywhere to live and had to be in a place where the spread of the virus is made more possible.The spread didn't happen, the situation in that county didn't eventually become alarming, but a lot of people were vaccinated and we're satisfied with how we stand with that. It would've been better if we'd had the quantity of vaccine we'd expected,'' Marija Bubas added.
She pointed out that it was a fortunate circumstance that the AstraZeneca vaccine had been approved for use in the EU.
"We expect that more serious quantities of this vaccine will be delivered to Croatia in February. You should be vaccinated, so you should just receive the vaccine that comes first. A vaccination platform will be available for that, ie for ordering vaccination. When we see what quantities will arrive in the coming weeks, we'll make a plan. "
Bubas doesn't yet know when the platform will become available to citizens, but it is being "hurriedly worked on" and the hope is to launch it soon. She noted that new strains of the virus have not yet been discovered in Croatia, but she claims that new strains are present in the region.
"New strains exist in our neighbourhood. It hasn't been discovered in Croatia yet, but we're monitoring the situation. As these new strains spread, they show how great the mobility of the population is. Another good answer to stop the spread of new strains, prevent deaths and reduce the burden on the healthcare system is vaccination,'' she stressed. She believes that the measures shouldn't be relaxed even in mid-February and that a higher level of vaccination should be expected.
"I think we're going to have to wait for a higher level of vaccination to take place, but that's just an opinion. We have to look around, throughout Europe the measures are stricter in most countries, they're preparing for the penetration of new strains in some countries and there is no thought of relaxing anything. Although our situation is good, we must be careful with relaxations,'' stated Marija Bubas.
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Owner Opened His Gym Today Despite Headquarters' Ban, Police Arrested Him
February 1, 2021 – Despite the ban on the work of gyms issued by the Civil Protection Headquarters, valid until February 15, 2021, one owner opened his gym today in Trešnjevka, allowing people to exercise. The police arrested him shortly after the opening.
As of today, Croatia is slightly easing epidemiological measures in two segments. Elementary school students are returning to classes, and outdoor training is allowed. The terraces of cafes and restaurants remain closed, as do gyms and sports centers. But some gym owners were overwhelmed and decided to open their doors.
One of them is Andrej Klarić, the owner of the Quantum Premium Gym. He opened his gym's doors in Zagreb's Trešnjevka, despite the Civil Protection Headquarters' measures imposing a work ban. Several people came to exercise, aware of the consequences, Index reports.
'It's unbearable to live off the minimum salary for so long'
Last night via Facebook, the gym owner publicly invited the exercisers to come, and since then, the police have been on duty at their doorstep. A few minutes after the people started exercising this morning, the police and the inspection entered and closed the doors, leaving many journalists who gathered outside.
While people were exercising in the gym, the police arrested the owner. Klarić is one of the few who dared to make such a move but claims that he has nothing more to lose. He says he was tricked, no longer trusting anyone, and that the lockdown was unnecessary without any effect.
"The reasons why I did this are very simple. From the first day when the facilities were closed, I was against their closure because I believe that the already existing measures were more than appropriate," Klarić told 24sata before his arrest.
He added that it is unbearable to be patient and live on the minimum salary for so many months.
His daughter Duga Klarić made a brief statement, expressing surprise that more police vehicles than trainers had gathered. She pointed out that the gym remains open today because they were told so.
"They told us that we received a fine, but that we could stay open today, so we stay open today," the owner's daughter said, adding that she did not know how high fine they received.
However, the police identified all the people who were exercising at the gym this morning, and the gym is now closed. No one is inside, and there are still two police cars in front of it.
Messages of support
Klarić is already receiving messages of support from all sides. Dražen Oreščanin, the director of the Voice of Entrepreneurs, also came to the scene to support Klarić, who is about to stand trial.
"I came to support Mr. Andrija Klarić on behalf of the Voice of Entrepreneurs, ahead of the trial that awaits him regarding legal aid because it is something we provide to all our members through the program. The police are behind me. I asked them if I could come in, and they told me I couldn't. The gym is closed and locked. I also talked to the owner's daughter. She told me that he was taken into custody, so he was arrested, and he went to give a statement. We wouldn't want him to spend 30 days in custody because of the possibility of a repeat offense. We were there to show his support," Oreščanin said in a Facebook video.
He thanked everyone who supports Klarić and called on everyone to join the protest action on Ban Jelačić Square on Wednesday at 10 am.
Božinović: Police and inspectors acted following the law
At a press conference of the Civil Protection Headquarters, Interior Minister Davor Božinović briefly commented on police interventions due to the gyms' opening, saying he was aware of one case.
"I know that the police and the inspectors of the Civil Protection and the State Inspectorate, who go on patrols together, will enforce the law. I am sure that what they have acted so far was acted in accordance with the law. If everyone would decide for themselves when to open facilities during an epidemic, what measures would he determine, then there would be no need for specializations such as the specialization of prof. Capak or immunologists. This situation is not easy for anyone, but I think that people are showing rationality and resisting attempts to create an atmosphere where there is no epidemic or that it has passed. By all parameters, Croatia has the least strict measures in the EU, and if we keep this downward trend, we can talk about new corrections," Božinović said.
When asked about the sanctions that await the gym owner, Božinović did not want to speculate about it because it is the subject of an ongoing criminal investigation.
"We recently changed the laws in the Parliament because there are situations in which we must resort to sanctioning behavior that is risky for the spread of the infection. Let's leave it to the institutions,“ said Božinović.
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Task Force Head: Reconstruction in Earthquake-Hit Area Could Start in March, April
ZAGREB, 1 February, 2021 - The head of the task force dealing with the aftermath of the 29 December earthquake in Sisak-Moslavina County, Tomo Medved, said on Sunday that the reconstruction of the area could start in March or April.
"I believe that it is realistic to expect that the reconstruction process will be launched in March or April," Medved told the HRT public broadcaster, stressing that one had to take into account aftershocks that still happened on a daily basis.
"We have to be patient, wait for aftershocks to calm but until then we will complete all preparations - the law (on post-earthquake reconstruction), damage assessment, reconstruction plan," said Medved.
He noted that three companies currently worked on demolishing buildings in the county that had been damaged beyond repair.
"More than 3,000 buildings have been found unfit for use and they are now being thoroughly inspected. The removal of those buildings which structural engineers eventually find unfit for reconstruction... will be given priority," he said.
Ruđer Bošković Institute's Chemists Develop New Method for Waste PET Degradation
ZAGREB, 31 January, 2021 - Chemists at Zagreb's Ruđer Bošković Institute have developed a new method for the efficient degradation of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic, thus earning Very Important Paper (VIP) status and the cover page of the ChemSuSChem journal for their study.
The IRB says in a press release the latest results of research by IRB chemists show that mechanochemical milling and ageing, as two complementary solid-state techniques, have the potential for alkaline degradation of waste PET plastics and PET textile on larger scales as well.
PET is a synthetic polyester widely used in the production of soft-drink bottles and textile fibres. PET is a thermoplastic made of repeating units of terephthalic acid and ethylene glycol, linked together via an ester bond. Hence the popular name polyester, which is mostly used in the textile industry.
The ester linkage can be cleaved by hydrolysis to transform PET waste back into its monomer constituents. Current chemical methods of PET recycling require the use of organic solvents at high temperatures and pressures to achieve depolymerization into monomer derivatives in practical yields.
Exploring the possibilities of using ball milling in the process of PET depolymerization, Dr Vjekoslav Štrukil from the RBI Laboratory for Physical-Organic Chemistry successfully decomposed PET into monomer terephthalic acid at ambient temperature and pressure, with terephthalic acid being also the starting material for the production of this plastic.
"It is interesting to note that the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) in 2019 included mechanochemistry, as well as the degradation of polymers into monomers, into the ten chemical innovations that will change the world. Despite that, mechanochemical depolymerisation of PET was not described in scientific literature," said Dr Šrukil.
The IRB paper "Highly Efficient Solid-State Hydrolysis of Waste Polyethylene Terephthalate by Mechanochemical Milling and Vapor-Assisted Aging" was published in the prestigious journal ChemSusChem and owing to the remarkable reviews, the paper was ranked among the top five percent publications in the field, thus earning a Very Important Paper (VIP) status. Furthermore, the editorial board featured this study on its cover.
Bernard Tkalčec Will Not Open Zlatni Klas Today: "But I Will Peacefully Protest Wednesday"
February 1, 2021 - Bernard Tkalčec has decided against opening Zlatni Klas today and instead will peacefully protest with Croatian caterers on Wednesday in Zagreb.
Although it was rumored that more than 100 caterers in Zagreb would open their facilities on February 1, or at least start issuing coffee and drinks outside despite the work ban, the protest will not go ahead, as many pulled out after considering the consequences, said the president of the Zagreb Caterers' Association, Franz Letica, by telephone for Hina after their meeting.
After announcing that he would open the doors of the Zlatni Klas in Otrovandc on Monday, Bernard Tkalčec decided not to go ahead, after all, epodravina reports.
"I am will not open until February 15th. We have positive announcements from the Prime Minister that he will change his lockdown decision if the situation is good. My recent speech was not focused on rebellion and anarchy, but on seeking the right to work and live if we cannot be helped," said Tkalčec.
"I am waiting for the measures to be relaxed so that we can work fairly. The caterers were revolted by numerous illogicalities and discrimination in the measures of the Headquarters. Twenty-five people stand in front of the kiosks drinking coffee; the pools are full, people are on top of each other on Sljeme, and young people travel to BiH for fun. We are all human; we all want life. I do not condemn anyone, but we also have our rights; we are the only ones who have minimum technical conditions, and we do not work," he complained.
Tkalčec employed 16 people in Otrovanec, but he had to let go six of them when the first measures were announced.
"I can't afford to have 10 people come to my lunch, as it was before, and pay so many people. Now I kept 11 of them, but I promised the others that I would return them to work if we would work normally," he said.
Tkalčec said he received many calls and messages, mostly of support, after his opening announcement last week.
"This is not an initiative that calls for rebellion and riots, but the requested realization of our right to work and to understand that we are alive. On Wednesday, I am going to a peaceful protest in the center of Zagreb; we are looking for a way to survive," he concluded.
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