2012–2013 Maribor protests

2012–13 Maribor protests
Part of 2012–2013 Slovenian protests
Protesters in front of Maribor's Municipal building on 3 December 2012
Date	2 November 2012 (2012-11-02) – 4 February 2013 (2013-02-04)
Location	Maribor, Slovenia
Causes	Political corruption Favouritism, Nepotism and Clientelism
Goals	Resignation of mayor Franc Kangler and end of corruption and clientelism in the City Municipality of Maribor Abolition of the immunity from prosecution for members of the National Assembly and the National Council Spread of the protests throughout Slovenia; resignations and prosecutions of politicians and other members of elite, accused of corruption
Methods	Civil resistance Demonstrations Online activism Police brutality Riots Vandalism
Result	Franc Kangler's membership in the Slovenian People's Party revoked Demands for resignation of mayors in Trebnje and Novo mesto Kangler announces he will not run for a third mayoral term The Democratic Party of Pensioners of Slovenia exits the ruling coalition in the city council Srečko Zorko, the ranking Slovenian People's Party city councillor resigns his position Kangler announces his resignation as Mayor of Maribor Kanglers' mandate to become a member of the National Council is rejected by a vote of 19 to 18 Protests across Slovenia
Casualties
Injuries	65
Arrested	150 See: casualties section below.

The 2012–13 Maribor protests are part of the 2012–2013 Slovenian protests against the Slovenian political elite members, including the mayor Franc Kangler, the right-wing government leader Janez Janša, and the opposition leader Zoran Janković. In 2013 all three have been officially accused of corruption by the Commission for the Prevention of Corruption of the Republic of Slovenia. The protests began on 2 November 2012 in the city of Maribor, Slovenia.

Despite being predominantly peaceful in nature, the protests have not been without violent clashes between security forces and protesters. In late November 2012, the protests spread to cities and towns throughout the country, where the people are demanding resignations and prosecutions of politicians and other members of the "elite", accused of corruption.

Franc Kangler became the mayor of Maribor after winning the elections in December 2006, and again in October 2010 when he was re-elected. He won his second mayoral term in the first round and secured a strong coalition in the City Council. During his six-year tenure he has become notorious after being involved in multiple affairs and scandals, resulting in a number of criminal investigations and indictments, none in which he has been found guilty to date. He has been frequently accused by both the media and his opposition of political corruption, favouritism, clientelism, misguided budgetary policy and failed or semi-finished projects, the biggest one being the unsuccessful organization of the 2013 Winter Universiade for which the City Municipality of Maribor now faces a multi-million euros lawsuit from the FISU. Kangler rejects the blame for the failed project and argues that his organizing committee has done everything in their power to host the event and that the blame lies on the shoulders of the Government and the "third-rate state bureaucrats". To date, the Commission for Prevention of Corruption in Slovenia has issued multiple opinions in which they labeled some of Kangler's actions as "corrupt". Because of his crude language and alleged eluding of the law, critics have dubbed Kangler the "Maribor sheriff".