2014 unrest in Bosnia and Herzegovina
| 2014 unrest in Bosnia and Herzegovina | |||
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Protests in Zenica, 10 February 2014
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| Date |
Riots and unrest: 4 – 10 February 2014 (1 week) Demonstrations: February – April 2014 (ca. 2–3 months) |
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| Location |  Bosnia and Herzegovina, mostly in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina |
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| Causes |
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| Goals |
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| Methods |
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| Status | Ended | ||
| Parties to the civil conflict | |||
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| Casualties | |||
| Death(s) | 0 | ||
| Injuries |
As of 8 February: 200 (Tuzla) 50 (Zenica) 121 (Sarajevo) |
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| Arrested | 38 | ||
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The 2014 unrest in Bosnia and Herzegovina was a series of demonstrations and riots that began in the northern town of Tuzla on 4 February 2014, but quickly spread to multiple cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, including Sarajevo, Zenica, Mostar, Jajce, and Brčko, among others, for social reasons and with the aim of overthrowing the government. The riots were the most violent scenes the country had seen since the end of the Bosnian War in 1995. The rioting largely took place in the entity of Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the same level of unrest or activism did not occur in Republika Srpska.
Some news sources, such as BBC and the New York Times, used the name Bosnian Spring when describing the riots, a terminology taken from other events such the Arab Spring and the Prague Spring. The Swedish politician Carl Bildt also said that "in some places there has been talk about a Bosnian Spring".
Most of the riots calmed down by 8 February, although protesting continued throughout the days that followed.
By April 2014, the protests had faded away due to decreasing participation. A Balkan Insight article said they "ran out of steam".
After World War II, Tuzla developed into a major industrial and cultural centre during the communist period in the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. During the first decade of the 21st century, four former state-owned companies, including furniture and washing powder factories, were sold to private owners who were contracted to invest in and make them profitable. Instead, the new owners opted for asset stripping, stopped paying workers and filed for bankruptcy. The closures left hundreds of workers without jobs in a country that already has a high unemployment rate of between 27%–47%. Although official data show that 27.5 percent of its working population is unemployed, at least another 20 percent of people are estimated to be engaged in the so-called grey economy. An average monthly salary in Bosnia and Herzegovina is 420 euros (about $570), with one in five citizens living below the poverty line.
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Wikipedia