BRCKO DISTRICT REJECTS "ARIZONA" MARKET PROTESTERS' REQUESTS

BRCKO, Aug 16 (Hina) - Authorities of the Brcko district (north- eastern Bosnia) on Friday turned down requests of protesters who a day before blocked the Orasje-Tuzla road near the Arizona market for a few hours protesting against the closing of their shops and insisting on the return of 150 hectares of the private land to real owners. #L# On Thursday a few hundred demonstrators blocked the road, expressing their dissatisfaction with the conduct of the district's inspection teams that began closing down some shops in the so-called Arizona market on Wednesday. A group of 27 Croats joined protesters, insisting on the re- institution of their right over their private land, i.e. 150 hectares, in the said market which the district's authorities decided to nationalise, proclaiming it "public interest". On Thursday evening, representatives of the protesters met with the authorities in Brcko to discuss the problem. On Friday, the protesters reported that the authorities refused their demands. The protesters announced new blockades of the road if their problem was not urgently settled. (hina) ms