Is St. Mark’s Square Actually a Square?

There are various definitions, roles and functions of squares throughout Europe, but the most general definition would be that it’s a venue where urbs and civitas overlap. A square isn’t just a public place it’s a place for the general public as well. Thus Jean-Bernard Racine, the Swiss social geography professor, holds that a city square is a place of communication, togetherness, continuity, and not a place of discrimination, inequality and discontinuity.

*Markov trg, izvor

So what’s up with St. Mark’s Square in Zagreb’s Gornji grad (Upper Town), where public gatherings have been prohibited by law since 2005? St. Mark’s Square is a historically important venue, which only recently became a symbol of political power, not only as headquarters of high-echelon state institutions, but also as a symbol of protests and the powers that be making an example out of St. Mark’s Square, emphasizing the fact that they have no boundaries whatsoever in carrying out their will, even though it’s unconstitutional, in this case breaking the guaranteed constitutional right to public gatherings and freedom of expression. Thus it didn’t come as a surprise when Facebook protesters recently started their protest march with unsuccessful attempts to reach St. Mark’s Square. That’s where the main addressees of their discontent are and St. Mark’s Square should definitely be a central place for publicly expressing political thoughts. If you’re addressing someone, it only makes sense to do it so they hear you, at least metaphorically. As it has been made impossible for protesters to do so at an official venue, they then decided on the questionable route of going to certain politician’s places of residence.

*Markov trg, izvor

St. Mark’s Square became a prohibited, undemocratic place in 2005, as decreed by the then Government headed by Ivo Sanader, due to “safety reasons.” Teodor Celakoski and Tomislav Tomašević from “Right to the City” and the “Green Action” are being tried pursuant to that law, which prohibits public gatherings and protests within a hundred-meter radius of the buildings of the Croatian Parliament, the Government, the Constitutional Court and the Office of the Croatian President. The Police state these two individuals staged a protest on July 19th, 2010 in front of the City of Zagreb Assembly in the Ćirilometodij Street. The Assembly is located near St. Mark’s Square, approximately 90 meters from the Government. However, it’s interesting to note that only St. Mark’s Square is disputable, that is, the Government and Parliament, as numerous protests for the Varšavka Street were held right next a protest-prohibited place, the Constitutional Court in Varšavksa Street No. 3, precisely the Court which has been evaluating the constitutional status of this Law since it’s been passed.

As long as the Constitutional Court doesn’t come in with a verdict, or is bypassed by elections (some parties have already announced that they’d be willing to revoke the public gatherings ban), St. Mark’s Square will continue to serve as a place for tourists (which also brings to mind the statement of Josip Friščić –Head of HSS/The Croatian Peasant Party –that St. Mark’s Square isn’t suitable for protests precisely because of tourists). The square is now mostly a transient place, what’s at odds with the basic definition of a square. Thus, St. Mark’s Square is a square only in name, form and tradition, while not in view of use and function.