OFFICIAL: POLICE USED MILDEST FORMS OF FORCE AGAINST PROTESTERS

ZAGREB, Nov 23 (Hina) - Police director Ranko Ostojic has said that the police used only the mildest forms of force against protesters at Friday's protest of the Sisak Ironworks employees, solely for the purpose of preventing them to block roads and securing the implementation of the Law on Public Assembly, which he says the protesters violated. #L# "Although the police had every right to use more extensive forms of force, they used only the mildest ones in order to implement the Law on Public Assembly, which was violated at the protest," Ostojic said at Saturday's news conference at which a video recording of the Sisak protest was played. Ostojic said that although the protest had not been announced, the police had helped the organisers and agreed with them on the route which the protesters were to use. However, at one moment, the protesters left the agreed route and instead of going to the town authorities building, they headed towards the New Bridge in order to block the Sisak-Zagreb road, Ostojic said, adding that the police were forced to send an intervention squad to cordon off the area. "The police neither want nor can challenge the citizens' right to public assembly and peaceful gathering, but this must be done in line with the law," the police director said. He said that the video recording showed that the protesters had attacked the police who were trying to withdraw. He stressed that the police had tried to prevent the passage of the protesters only with their bodies, without using batons or other means of repression. The Sisak county police are collecting information for the possible prosecution of individuals who attacked the police. According to information from the Sisak hospital, two protesters sustained light injuries in the protest, Ostojic said. He criticised part of the media for unobjective reporting about the event and claims that the police had attacked the protesters. (hina) rml