Thousands of people protested on Friday afternoon in the streets of Maribor against local political elites, demanding that the entire city council resign, not just Mayor Franc Kangler, who recently stepped down under accusations from citizens of corruption and clientelism in the city’s and municipal services’ operations.
The protesters have given the municipal authorities a deadline to resign by December 20, as they claim that they represent the ‘octopus’ that controls the entire city. During their march through the city, the protesters also demonstrated in front of the city prison, demanding the release of those arrested during the riots following the protest over a week ago.
With a strong police presence, there were no incidents during the protest on Friday afternoon. Protests were also held in several other municipalities on Friday, where protesters demanded the resignations of mayors or municipal councils, including in Kranj, Murska Sobota, Lendava, and Ajdovščina.
Protests in Slovenian cities against political and economic elites at the local levels began three weeks ago, fueled by poor economic conditions and austerity measures. A larger wave of protests organized by groups via Facebook is expected at the end of next week.
