Despite the fact that the number of new infections with Covid-19 has started to decline in Slovenia, the situation in hospitals remains serious. Minister of Health Janez Poklukar pointed out on Wednesday that healthcare is still having trouble withstanding all the daily pressures of Covid-19, so he asked everyone to listen to healthcare professionals, to decide to get vaccinated, and to follow the implemented measures because, as he emphasised, this is the only possible way for us to enter the Christmas-New Year’s period with a certain level of normalcy. However, Jaša Jenull and the other protesters obviously do not care about any of that, as they held a protest gathering with roasted chestnuts last Friday.
The Facebook page of the so-called Protest Assembly read that on Friday, the 10th of December, at 7 p.m. on the Republic Square, the protesters would send “snow messages,” roast chestnuts, and collect warm clothes and footwear for the migrants who, according to them, are trapped at the Bosnian border. “See you there!” they added at the end of the post.
In addition to the written invitation, Jaša Jenull‘s associates also attached a picture of a “snowman” in the shape of male genitalia, thus outwardly proving their primitivism. Apparently, many of the like-minded people liked this sculpture, as you could see their smiling faces in the picture, next to the “snowman.” And judging by the comments on Facebook, many people find this kind of behaviours acceptable. Since the police wrote up everything that happened, some people made fun of the police officers involved, saying that they were surely asking the snow sculpture to show them proof of adhering to the RVT rule (recovered, vaccinated, tested).
Judging by the comments of the so-called Protest Assembly, last week’s protest was dedicated to collecting warm clothing for migrants. In addition, they also published the post of the so-called “Rog Embassy,” which states that the media’s attention is focused on the situation in Poland while forgetting about the migrants in the Western Balkans. “You can donate winter clothes, footwear, backpacks, bags, hygiene items, sleeping bags, blankets, or financial resources,” they wrote.
Since there is a higher likelihood of transmission of the infection at the protests, it is downright irresponsible that the protesters decided their activism cannot wait, at least until the situation calms down. Obviously, we cannot expect anything like that to happen, as the protesters absolutely enjoy their time together. In addition to the protests, they also often get together on marches and tea parties.
Although the opponents of the government oppose the measures that have been intensified due to the deteriorating epidemiological situation, it should be pointed out that this is not the case only in Slovenia. Elsewhere in Europe, the measures are even stricter, as socialising at home is also restricted; in Denmark, for example, schools have even been closed since January. Given the track record of Jenull’s previous protests, we can only hope that vandalism does not occur at the next one.
Sara Kovač
