"Occupation" of Ljubljana Stock Exchange Continues

19. 10. 2011

"Occupation" of Ljubljana Stock Exchange Continues


A group of protesters spent a third day in front of the Ljubljana Stock Exchange (LJSE) to protest against what they call corporate greed. More than a 100 people were gathered at the protest site in the evening, continuing with debates and announcing they would stay as long as necessary.

 

The protest is a follow-up to peaceful demonstrations on Saturday in Ljubljana and two other Slovenian cities as part of global protests against the "financial violence of capitalism". There are around 15 tents in front of the LJSE building, and the demonstration is being observed by a few police officers.

 

 

The main entrance to the building was closed and LJSE employees used back doors to get in and out. Also, an office of the SKB bank located nearby was closed down for the day for security reasons. While the police said there had been no violations of law and order so far, the Ljubljana Police Administration confirmed it had launched proceedings against the organiser of Saturday's protest for failing to register the rally.

 

The "Movement 15o" held an assembly at which the participants expressed their opinions and proposed further activities. Workshops on precarious forms of work were also held. Activist Andrej Kurnik of the Ljubljana Faculty of Social Sciences, told the press that the protest was symbolic, as the stock exchange "symbolises a machine of expropriation, a machine which crushed the possibility of generating social wealth". According to him, the occupation of the stock exchange has opened a public space for discussion, for "destigmatisation of poverty", for people to become organised under the principles of direct democracy, direct action. The protesters want to encourage other people to drop by, share their problems, and help them come up with a list of demands.

 

The protesters, who say will continue camping in front of the stock exchange "as long as necessary", are supported by the ZSSS trade union association, whose representative Goran Lukic said that the protest was "a part of a global movement which we have to join as soon as possible".

 

Outgoing Prime Minister Borut Pahor told the press in parliament that he planned to visit the protesters in the coming days or invite them "to talk, because they deserve to be engaged in a dialogue". "I wanted to go there yesterday, but there were photographers and TV cameras there - I saw no need to talk to the protesters in front of cameras," Pahor said.

 

Source: THE SLOVENIA TIMES

 

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