Matic: Croatia could be evicted from the EU due to war veterans protest

Zagreb, 25 October 2014 (MIA) - Croatian War Veterans' Affairs Minister Predrag Matic said in an interview with the "Vecernji List" daily that hit the newsstands on Saturday that the behaviour of the protesting veterans could lead to the "eviction of Croatia from the European Union", HINA reports.

Homeland Defence War veterans with 100% disability and other disgruntled veterans continued their rally outside the war veterans' affairs ministry in Zagreb on Saturday, the sixth straight day, demanding that Minister Predrag Matic and his two closest aides step down.

During their sit-in rally, the protesters spent one more cold night in a tent they set up on the premises of the ministry, with Zagreb residents coming to give them support and the local office of the Red Cross organisation providing them with blankets, food and drinks.

Nevenka Topalusic, 60, a disabled female veteran, died during the protest on Wednesday and it provoked the angers of other veterans and sympathies from Zagreb citizens who brought food and blankets to the protesters.

A commemoration for Topalusic brought together several hundred people on Thursday and traffic along site was disrupted for some time.

On Friday the organizers of the protest refused a suggestion from President Ivo Josipovic to mediate in his office between Matic and the protesters.