Croatia - September 2026

On 5 September, one of Croatia’s largest recent protests was held over alleged institutional failures to address illegal toxic waste dumping near Gospić. Organised by the citizens’ initiative ‘Gospić Is Our Home’, the protest followed the arrest of 13 people in a Europol-supported investigation, which later expanded to suspected official and regulatory wrongdoing. Media reported that environmental inspectors had sought the withdrawal of the operator’s permit in 2024, but local authorities later issued a new one. Public anger intensified after findings from anti-corruption authorities contradicted government assurances that soil and water were not contaminated. Protesters demanded a clean-up plan and stronger environmental monitoring and accountability. The government announced waste-removal and enforcement measures and responded to one of the protesters’ central demands by publishing a detailed remediation plan on 25 September. Campaigners continued to press for implementation.

Sources: Hrvatska Radiotelevizija (1), Hrvatska Radiotelevizija (2), Al Jazeera, Deutsche Welle