The 8th Solidarity March in Zagreb started with a minute of silence for all victims of Paris attacks, and the participants put flowers in front of the French embassy in Zagreb.

Over 700 people marched through the streets of Zagreb on November 14 to remind Europe and its leaders of the fundamental EU values that they officially signed to uphold, and which they are – in the shadows of fences and wires – easily rejecting.

Humanity and solidarity

The current humanitarian crisis in Europe is the result of the cynical relationship of European Union institutions and EU governments, which have helped to cause the migration crisis thanks to their centralist policies. These policies must stop!

The Zagreb marchers want EU governments and institutions to show humanity and solidarity and provide safe corridors and access to EU territory – to reduce the number of migrant deaths and prevent violations of their rights. Contemporary migrations are the result of multiple and mutually conditioned reasons that preceded them, and no single cause should be considered in isolation.

The causes of the current humanitarian crisis include the misuse of political and financial power, climate change, wars and instability. Because of that, distinguishing between refugees and economic migrants in a contemporary context is a kind of phony dilemma that is being justified with established legal framework. This legal framework can’t provide adequate answers to the reality of hundreds of thousands of people crossing borders in search of safety.

Don't close Europe!

The participants of the 8th Zagreb Solidarity March demanded change to the existing system, both for the sake of refugees and EU citizens - especially the thousands of volunteers and citizens who donate time or goods or help in any way possible.

"We, volunteers, citizens, refugees, don’t want to accept Europe becoming a closed continent! We also don’t accept that the only alternative for people who are escaping the insecurity of war is insecurity inside European borders, where they are left to marginalization and criminalization and exposed to racism and xenophobia," read a statement from the participants of the march.