The president of the Croatian Journalists' Association (HND), Hrvoje Zovko, during a protest march organised by the association which brought together several hundred demonstrators on Saturday said that the University of Zagreb "is also waging a crusade against reporters and media outlets."

In his speech when the march shortly stopped near the building housing the University’s offices, Zovko accused the University to which he referred as “another institution funded by money ensured by us (taxpayers) ” of waging a crusade against journalists and media to the disgrace of this country and “to the disgrace of the whole European Union and normal world.”

At the start of the march in front of the HND building, protesters first walked towards the Culture Ministry where they handed in their eight demands. The protest march was prompted by a rising number of civil lawsuits against reporters and media outlets which the demonstrators perceive as an attempt of censorship in society.

Zovko said that Culture Minister Nina Obuljen Korzinek saw the situation on the Croatian Radio and Television and in other media outlet as normal, “as if we are not living in a country in which reporters are being sued, and censorship is visible every day.”

Zovko also accused the public broadcaster HRT of “waging a crusade” against reporters and media outlets and later also criticised the university.

Some of the demands of the protesting reporters include urgent amendments to the legislation on HRT and that the current leadership of that public broadcaster be dismissed.

The HND leader underscores that journalists are serving the interests of the general public and not politicians, and again pointed out a record high number of lawsuits against them.

The leader of the opposition Social Democratic Party (SDP) Davor Bernardic, who joined the protest, also called for freeing the HRT from the political influence.