2014–2016 Croatian war veterans protest

Croatian War Veterans Tent Protest
Croatian: Prosvjed šatoraša
DateOctober 2014 – April 2016
Location
Caused by
  • Veterans dissatisfaction with government officials
Goals
  • Increase of veterans rights
  • Resignation of Zoran Milanović and Ivo Josipović
  • Toppling of Milanović government
MethodsDemonstrations, riots, self-immolation, civil disobedience
StatusEnded in April 2016
Parties

Veteran protesters

  • Association 100% za Hrvatsku
  • Various war veterans

Supported by:

Croatian Democratic Union
Authentic Croatian Party of Rights

Catholic Church
Bad Blue Boys

Government of Croatia
Ministry of Internal Affairs

Supported by:

Various anti-tenter Facebook groups
Lead figures

Josip Klemm
Đuro Glogoški

Casualties
Death(s)1
DetainedUnknown

2014–2016 Croatian war veterans tent protest was 555 days long war veterans protest, often dubbed in Croatia as The Tenters (Croatian: šatoraši). The protests were initially aimed against Ministry of Croatian Veterans deputy Bojan Glavašević and Minister Predrag Matić himself, however the protesters subsequently changed their demands and started demanding the resignation of centre-left Prime Minister Zoran Milanović and then President Ivo Josipović. The protests escalated in May 2015 when a group of protesters breached the riot police cordons in Zagreb Upper Town and barricaded themselves inside St. Mark Church, where they again clashed with the police. At the same time another group of protesters near the central tent blocked the traffic and brought out gas bottles on Savska street which they apparently threatened to blow if the police refused to back off from the church. After both Josipović and Milanović lost the elections in 2014 and 2015, the protests gradually calmed down and in April 2016, with the new minister taking over the Veterans Office, the tent was dismantled, formally ending the protest.