POLICE WARN ORGANIZERS THAT PROTEST CANNOT HAPPEN IN MAIN SQUARE

( Editorial: --> 2893 ) ZAGREB, Feb 18 (Hina) - The Zagreb police warned the Committee for the preparation of a protest announced for 20 February that the rally cannot be held in the main city square. Police said in the letter that the city leadership had not consented to a public rally being held in the main square. They also warned that the organisers had not requested approval from the Road Administration, nor from the police, and according to the Law on Public Roads and the Law on Traffic Safety, they were supposed to do so in order to prevent disorder in traffic. "We have nothing against your intention to publicly gather and protest, if it is harmonised with the law," the police said, suggesting a meeting which would establish problems regarding the announced protest. The Committee accepted the invitation for the meeting, president of the Workers' Unions' Alliance, Boris Kunst, said, adding that it was in the Committee's interest for the protest to pass in peace and without incidents. However, the Committee would not give up from the main city square, for which it had been receiving support from different unions and associations, as well as from workers of certain companies, who were announcing that they would attend the protest, Kunst said. According to Kunst, the Committee is negotiating cooperation with international and domestic organisations for the protection of human rights which are going to send their observers to the rally, as well as to accesses to Zagreb, so that they could prevent possible blocking of accesses to the city on the day of the rally. Speaking at the protest will be 23 representatives of unions, parties and associations which are co-organising the protest, not longer than three minutes each, Kunst said. The organisers of the rally are the Association of Croatian Workers' Unions, the Croatian Association of Unions, The Union of Croatian Teachers and the Independent Union of Croatian High School Personnel. The co-organisers are the Croatian Movement for Democracy and Social Justice, the Croatian Retirees' Association, the Union of Croatian Homeland War Soldiers and the Union of Zagreb Students, as well as political parties the Croatian Peasants' Party (HSS), Istrian Democratic Party (IDS), Croatian Social Democratic Action party (ASH), Croatian Pure Party of Rights (HCSP), Croatian Christian Democratic Union (HKDU), Croatian Party of Rights (1861), Croatian Party of Pensioners (HSU), Social-Democratic Union (SDU) and the Green Union. The Alliance of Croatian Independent Unions did not join the Committee in preparing the protest. The Croatian Social Liberal Party (HSLS), Croatian People's Party (HNS) and the Liberal Party are not included in the organisation of the rally, but they recommended their members to decide for themselves whether to attend the rally or not. The Social Democratic party (SDP)basically supports unions' protests, but will not attend this one because it said it did not "want union rallies to be politicised nor the SDP to be manipulated". The HDZ said they disagreed with the rally saying that the rally was a typical political demonstration by the parties aimed at provoking the Croatian state authority through unions. (hina) lm jn 181721 MET feb 98