Croatia: noisy NO to development works in public parks

The ?I Love Pula!? civic initiative organized a protest walk, on January 20, 2007, to express its opposition of construction and development works in Pula?s public parks.

The cities in the developed countries are proud with their big, well-kept parks. They realized the importance and the benefits that such green oases provide as places of rest, children?s play and socializing. Instead of adopting that same approach, the city administration has other design for its parks ? use them as development land for construction of hotels and residential buildings.

About 200 protesters gathered in a procession in the ?City of Graz Park? and proceeded, with much noise and racket, to the Pula Forum. There, they posted a banner saying ?ENOUGH! Individuals Gain if we Build in the Parks, the Community Loses!? Also, copies of banknotes were posted, to demonstrate that authorities are easily susceptible to bribes if they generously meet the demands of private interests, at the expense of the needs of the majority.

The protesters then continued the protest walk, making ear-shattering noise with their drums and whistles. Along the route, they distributed leaflets informing the citizens about the fact that the soon-to-be-adopted Urban Plan ?Old Town Pula? will literally pour concrete over the parks.

The protesters shouted slogans, ?Parks to the Citizens, not to Developers? and ?We Have Had it With the Concrete?, sending a message to the city authorities that they won?t allow for the parks to be taken away from the citizens silently.

?Volim Pulu? once again demanded from the city councillors to prevent construction in city parks, but also sent a message that there are enough people that will use all democratic means to say ?Enough?.

It is now on the members of the City Council to decide whether they want to go into history as the people who allowed to pour concrete over the parks in Pula.