Protests Erupt in Split Over Parking Removal

The news in Croatian

1. stanovnik (m.)
   osoba koja stalno prebiva u određenom mjestu ili kući ↩︎
2. uklanjanje (n.)
   postupak da se nešto makne ili ukloni s mjesta ↩︎
3. prosvjed (m.)
   javno izražavanje neslaganja ili nezadovoljstva ↩︎
4. posaditi
   staviti biljku ili sjeme u zemlju da raste ↩︎
5. otežavati
   činiti nešto težim ili složenijim ↩︎
6. napetost (f.)
   stanje zategnutih odnosa ili konflikta ↩︎

Translation

Text Comprehension

Question: Why are the residents protesting in Split?

Question: What do the residents want from the city authorities?

Vocabulary

Croatian	English
stanovnik (m.)	resident
uklanjanje (n.)	removal
prosvjed (m.)	protest
posaditi	plant
otežavati	make difficult
napetost (f.)	tension

Read the full story

The protest occurred near a pedestrian crossing by a nursery, where residents continuously crossed to underscore their grievances. They have pointed out that no alternative parking solutions have been proposed by the city, exacerbating existing issues of vehicle accommodation in the area.

According to Ante Glavaš, a representative and organiser of the protest, the city’s new ruling, supposedly aimed at introducing order, is creating more disorder. Residents have been informed of plans to plant flowers in the vacated spaces, a move they see as impractical. Glavaš highlighted that he had to reach out to the local Parks and Plantings company independently to understand these developments, suggesting that communication from city officials has been lacking.

The controversy is rooted in the historical development of the area. Many of these houses were constructed in the 1960s with valid permits, yet plans from that era did not anticipate such road expansions. Residents argue that the urban development plans have unfairly disadvantaged them over the years, as reflected by Julija Budimir Bekan, the Deputy Chair of the Blatine-Škrape city district. She stressed that the infrastructure changes prevent secure access for families, the elderly, and the less mobile, and requests for dialogue have been ignored by city authorities.

Stanko Bajić, an 80-year-old resident, expressed his frustrations over having to use new garages situated far from his home. The parking options are not only inconvenient but are also oversubscribed, as the number of subscriptions outpaces available spaces.

With safety concerns and community disruptions on the rise, the protest has highlighted growing tensions between city residents and local government regarding urban planning and residential access. Residents are calling for a rethink of the planned measures and for more collaborative solutions that address their needs.

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