Tens of thousands of people gathered in Croatia for a large environmental demonstration, expressing frustration over the government's failure to address a significant amount of illegally dumped hazardous waste. The protest took place on Saturday, with participants demanding a clear plan to clean up polluted areas and an immediate ban on the import of waste. The issue has sparked widespread criticism of Conservative Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic and his government, which has faced growing public discontent in recent weeks. The crisis began last February when Croatian police and Europol, the EU's law enforcement agency, arrested 13 individuals suspected of illegally importing and disposing of hazardous waste. Europol reported that the suspects had made at least 4 million euros (4.2 million U.S. dollars) in illegal profits. More than a year later, residents of Gospic, a central town in Croatia, are worried that about 37,000 metric tons (40,000 U.S. tons) of waste—mainly buried underground—still remains at an abandoned industrial site. This waste includes remnants of electronic equipment, plastics, construction materials, and medical waste. An expert report published last month by the Croatian anti-corruption agency USKOK revealed that the soil at the site contained elevated levels of metals and that PFAS compounds—commonly called "forever chemicals"—were detected in groundwater. Vjekoslav Busic, from the local initiative "Gospic Is Our Home," said residents had been reporting suspected illegal activity since 2023. "The result to date: Not a single kilogram of hazardous waste has been removed from Gospic," Busic said. Protester Ivan Rittinger criticized authorities for downplaying the situation, saying they "are talking about this as if it were a tragedy, as if it just happened out of nowhere." He claimed that "someone made money out of it and someone was paid to look the other way." Rittinger added, "It was planned. This is not a tragedy. This is a crime." USKOK is currently investigating a Croatian company for allegedly burying illegal toxic waste at multiple sites across the country, with the largest amount found in Gospic. Authorities have stated that multiple water and soil tests in Gospic came out negative for contamination. However, they have decided to temporarily cover the site to protect it from rainwater, and one company has been selected to begin clearing some of the waste while a long-term plan is developed. Prime Minister Plenkovic accused his political opponents of stoking public fear for political gain. Experts agree that the damage is currently localized, but they warn that the region's karst terrain, loose soil, and rivers could carry pollution toward the Adriatic Sea. Gospic, a town with about 12,000 residents, is located near a nature park and known for its forests, lakes, and rivers. According to an initial Europol report, much of the waste that ended up in Gospic was imported from other EU countries, including Italy, Slovenia, and Germany. Protesters in Zagreb, the capital, carried national flags and banners reading "When if not now" or "The lungs of Croatia have trouble breathing," chanting "Croatia, Croatia." Zeljka Sikic from Gospic thanked the crowd for "coming out publicly, because it takes courage nowadays," saying "we have been handed over to eco-mafia." Zagreb resident Suzane Maria Flander emphasized that "it's a basic human right to have clean soil, clean water, and clean air."