HDZ, HIP, HVIDRA CONDEMN POLICE ACTION AGAINST PROTESTERS

ZAGREB, Sept 11 (Hina) - The president of the Croatian Democratic Union party (HDZ), Ivo Sanader, on Wednesday condemned last night's action by intervention police who broke up a several-month long protest of dismissed policemen and Croatian Homeland War veterans which was staged in front of the government building in downtown Zagreb. #L# "It seems the incumbent government was only waiting for any small excuse to remove the protesters from St. Mark's Square," Sanader told reporters. If they did not have the right to rally, the protest should have been forbidden the first day, or have individuals who caused incidents removed, allowing the majority of the protesters to continue their peaceful protest, Sanader said. He said that in the past half year, when the protest began, the problem of dismissed police officers had not been solved by the interior ministry. The true tragedy is that policemen are "forced to act against each other", he said. The Croatian True Revival party (HIP) is requesting the resignation of Interior Minister Sime Lucin and Prime Minister Ivica Racan for sending special police units against the former policemen- protesters. HIP harshly condemns the brutal attacks of the incumbent authorities on the dismissed policemen, the party said in today's statement. The president of the association of Croatian homeland military invalids of war, HVIDRA, Damir Varazdinac, called on Croatian Homeland War Veterans' Minister Ivica Pancic undertake measures in response to Tuesday night's intervention police action. "We may speak about the way in which the police action was undertaken, but I think that after (Prime Minister Racan having eggs thrown at him by a protester) there is no reason for anybody to protest in front of the government building in such a manner," Pancic told reporters after meeting HVIDRA representatives. (hina) lml