September 09, 2021

Conspiracy theorists protest COVID measures in Slovenia

topic:	Health and Sanitation
located:	Slovenia
editor:	Katarina Panić

For months, journalists from the Slovenian public broadcast network, RTV, had been complaining that anti-vaccination protesters had been harassing, insulting and threatening them outside of their building in the capital, Ljubljana. The broadcasting network owns the building, but since the property around the offices is state-owned, protests and gatherings are allowed. 

The members of the ‘Aware People of Slovenia’ movement have therefore been using this public space for demonstrations against vaccinations and the coronavirus-related restrictions over the last several months. 

RTV employees, especially those on the first floor, found these protests disturbing. “We have listened to the various conspiracy theories for hours, the accusations that we were killers, nits and poisoners,” journalist Gregor Drnovšek told local media. “It used to cause nervousness, bad mood, and even anger among employees.”

The employees’ complaints went largely ignored by authorities - that is until last Friday, when when a group of anti-vaccination protestors and opponents of coronavirus-related restrictions stormed RTV Slovenia’s building. 

The night of 3 September, at around 8pm, about 20 people, who believed that the coronavirus did not exist, entered the building despite the security guards’ warnings. They made their way into the broadcasting studio, sharing live footage from their Facebook page. While RTV staff filmed them, the intruders insisted that they broadcast them live on the national news to address the country’s citizens. 

The police arrived - the protesters yelled at them, refusing to leave. Finally, special forces were called in to throw out the protestors. Since then, the media channel has increased their security and police have banned gatherings around the building in Kolodvorska street.

Slovenia’s current vaccination rate of 48 percent is lower than the European Union’s average of 65 percent. On 7 September, Slovenia saw the largest number of new infections since the last six months - 1,093 people, a 21 percent positivity rate of those tested. 

Authorities have therefore once again invited citizens to get vaccinated in order to prevent new restriction measures. That same night, a container near the vaccination center was set on fire and put out by firefighters. Nearby, anti-governmental flyers were found. They read: “The people will judge you very soon” and “For freedom and against COVID-passes terror.” 

Photo by Hakan Nural

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