A large crowd of mostly students has gathered in front of the Parliament of Bosnia and Herzegovina, carrying banners with messages demanding answers about donations, flood recovery efforts, and government accountability. Protesters are calling for transparency, questioning where the financial aid has gone, and asking when flood-damaged areas will be restored.

Under the slogan “Will Change Ever Come?”, students insist that the devastating floods and landslides, particularly in Donja Jablanica, were not just natural disasters but the result of systemic negligence. Many participants, especially young people, demand justice for the victims and call for legal action against those responsible.
“The state must be held accountable,” one protester said. “This is a crime without punishment, and we want to know who is responsible.”

Anger Over Government Inaction

The protest comes four months after a tragic landslide in Donja Jablanica, which killed 19 people. The disaster was linked to an illegal quarry operating in the area, yet no officials or business entities have faced legal consequences.

Organizers accuse authorities of ignoring critical safety regulations, citing the absence of a Forestry Law in the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton and the broader Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. They also highlight the lack of oversight on construction along flood-prone riverbanks, which worsened the impact of the floods.

“Nobody has been held accountable for the illegal quarry in Donja Jablanica. Nobody has answered for the lack of forest management laws. Nobody has been punished for unchecked construction that led to these disasters,” a statement from the protest organizers reads.

They also criticized the slow pace of investigations, noting that only preliminary inquiries have been initiated, with no formal legal proceedings underway.

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Students express key demands

Students protesting in front of the Parliament of Bosnia and Herzegovina have made their demands clear, stating that the people of Jablanica and surrounding areas were not killed by rain or falling rocks, but by government negligence.

“The greatest loss is human life, and many families have also lost their homes,” one student protester said. “Four months have passed, and an official investigation has yet to begin. A decade ago, floods also took lives, and no one was ever held accountable—just as no one has answered for the illegal quarry, illegal logging, or the blocking of flood-prone rivers. No one has ever been punished, yet they wonder why people are leaving this country.”

During the demonstration, students listed several urgent demands, including:

• Immediate launch of investigations and prosecution of those responsible for the disaster,

• Criminal charges against all individuals involved in the operation of illegal quarries,

• Legal action against those responsible for allowing deaths in last year's floods,

• A comprehensive review of all quarries that pose a threat to human lives, including updates to landslide and flood maps,

• Full transparency regarding donations and public funds, with detailed reports on how relief money has been spent and the official plans for flood recovery efforts.

These were just some of the demands presented by the protesters, who then solemnly read out the names of the victims, calling for justice.

Growing pressure on authorities

The protest was largely organized by students, who previously called on citizens to join them in demanding justice. In their statement, they emphasized that the government is the first entity that must be held responsible and urged authorities to act immediately.

“This was not just an accident,” the statement continues. “This is the result of systemic negligence and incompetence by those who are supposed to protect the lives of citizens. Enough waiting.”

Protesters warn that this is just the beginning. They have announced further actions in the coming weeks and plan to continue mobilizing support through social media.
With growing public anger and mounting pressure, the government now faces demands for transparency, justice, and long-overdue reforms in environmental and infrastructure policies. Whether authorities will respond to the public outcry remains to be seen.