On Saturday, June 15, we went to the top of Risnjak, where we planned to spend the night in the mountain hut. When we got to the living room of the hut, I saw an automatic rifle on the table and two special forces officers talking to the home manager. Initially, nothing was clear to us, but we soon learned that special police became a part of the everyday life.Many questions and answers I wanted to address with the hiker that said that remain unopened, but I would just ask him one question. In a situation where you have people who ask for water, and on the other side those who respond with gunfire and batons, with the approval of the majority of people present, you really have to wonder if you are in this situation on the side of the people or the beasts
We did not get any official explanation why there were armed officers among us, but the home manager told us that they "kept us safe from refugees." As time passed, through conversations in a cheerful and intimate atmosphere, which is typically for mountain huts, the situation become somewhat clearer. The manager is very angry at these "migrants" since one or more groups of refugees hiking through the mountains to pass to Slovenia have broken into the hut this winter, to find shelter, food and get warm.
About this and similar events (entering cottages, mountain huts and shelters), as can be noticed mainly on hiking sites and in the local media, it is said that the "savages" or"they" come, and "devastate homes", in this particular case – of an innocent woman. This is how the officers, the manager of the hut and a part of the mountaineers were explaining it, and none of the people present (fifteen of us) did not try to dispute this rhetoric.
Although I did not say anything in such an atmosphere, I was thinking to myself that even though breaking into the hut really happened, it was hard to talk about it in terms of devastation, especially in the context in which it occurred - the hut was in a good state, the windows were not broken, all of the rooms were functional, from toilets to kitchen, to bedrooms... So, if we take into account who broke in and why, it is more adequate to talk about a basic human need and survival rather than intentional and unreasonable devastation.
Photo: HSP Primorsko goranske županije
That evening, we were all sitting in front of the house, and at the center of attention were the officers who answered various questions, but also I do not know who he was talking about. Did he mean - not to be afraid of refugees who came to ask for water? Or those who fired from the automatic guns above their heads, near the other hikers? The only fear I felt is of those who hunt people, scare them by shooting and then hunt them in the forests to take them and bring them back to Bosnia gave their insights and interpretations of the situation. We found out that they constantly patrol the forests, that the whole Risnjak was under the cameras and that they were there to "hunt" the refugees and migrants. They work in coordination with the Bosnian police. When asked what they do when they "catch" them, they replied that they take their belongings and return people to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
During these conversations, they also talked about various "events", with a lot of laughter. For example, they talked about a migrant that was caught for the twentieth time and begged them to let him go this time. They said that many migrants already know the procedure, they don't need to explain it to them any more. They also talked about smugglers that leave migrants at the foot of Risnjak and tell them that they are in Slovenia so they end up wandering around the hills lost ...
One of the officers stated that they were "afraid of the police more than anything else", and he was particularly proud of that. There were also comments on how unclean and stupid migrants are, but it is important to note that one of the officers has pointed out that no case of migrant violence has ever been reported towards any of the locals or generally the people they are encountering on their way.
We are talking about thousands of people who wander the woods, hungry, thirsty, frightened, and the "crime" for which they are judged so heavily and dehumanized is that they break into cottages, shelters and huts to find food and shelter on their long and tortuous journey.
Photo: HSP Primorsko-goranske županije
Despite the fact that no violence has been reported yet, the general atmosphere was that migrants are dangerous and that it is very good that the police hunts them, and the majority of taking part in the conversation clung towards this attitude. They laughed loudly at the jokes of the officers and their adventures during the "hunt for refugees".We are talking about thousands of people who wander the woods, hungry, thirsty, frightened, and the "crime" for which they are judged so heavily and dehumanized is that they break into cottages, shelters and huts to find food and shelter on their long and tortuous journey
I would like to highlight one more thing - on Risnjak, living next to the mountain hut, is a fox named Pablo. Everyone loves Pablo. They like to feed her, and the hut manager gives her daily food remnants (the fox is sometimes accompanied by badgers or a bear) commenting on how Pablo does not eat it, but rather buries the food. One of the officers said with great fervor that he gave Pablo a meat breakfast one morning, and after that the fox was licking a pate straight from the bread. The officer used the moment to record a nice video of the fox.
Listening to these stories and seeing that the same man who hunts refugees at the same time with such fervor and kindness feeds the already full fox, my head was spinning - even the fox has the right to a name and all the humanity that goes with it. At the same time, refugees are generally not seen as humans, even as living creatures, but at the very least a disturbance that needs to be removed.
Pablo came that evening too, and everyone was enthusiastic about feeding her. A little bit later came a badger, Listening to these stories and seeing that the same man who hunts refugees at the same time with such fervor and kindness feeds the already full fox, my head was spinning - even the fox has the right to a name and all the humanity that goes with itwhich caused a general delight. That same evening, around 11 in the evening, migrants also came. There were a couple of more people outside, while the officers were upstairs.
There were several migrants and they were asking for water. A younger couple immediately gave them a bottle. They sat down on the floor exhausted and drank water. The young couple did not even have time to warn them that there is police here, and the officers ran out at the alert of one of the people who saw the arrival of the migrants.
Officers on Risnjak (Photo by the hiker)
They came outside with batons screaming "lay on the ground" and started to hit them. Migrants began to flee, and one (or more) police officers started shooting from their weapons, just above their heads. In this enraging situation and fear, one of the migrants fell down the hill and according to an eyewitness statement, "completely broke his bones" (we cannot be sure of how injured he was, since after the event no one of us could leave the hut). That man was one of the six caught later (as we learned from the officers the next day).So, if we take into account who broke in and why, it is more adequate to talk about a basic human need and survival rather than intentional and unreasonable devastation
The eyewitnesses who saw the events in front of the hut said to us that they were shocked to see how „migrants came and asked for the water, and the police were beating them and shooting." Upon hearing them, the hut manager stood in the defense of the officers, claiming they "did not beat anyone" and that they were "good guys", although, as far as I know, she was not at all present at the scene and could not know exactly what happened . Nevertheless, the manager sat down with the girl who witnessed the events, explaining to her why the officers' actions were justified.
Nevertheless, everyone found out what happened. After fifteen minutes, one of the officers came into the common room. Running out of breath, he called the manager to come and talk to him. To the rest of us he said to keep calm, telling us we are safe, that this happens to them every day, so there is no reason to be afraid.What shocked me the most in the whole situation is how the story changed from the original version which was "the police was shooting at migrants who were just asking for water" to "this was just a first group on the look out" and there were "seventy more" and that it is good that the police is there to "protect" us
I do not know who he was talking about. Did he mean - not to be afraid of refugees who came to ask for water? Or those who fired from the automatic guns above their heads, near the other hikers? The only fear I felt is of those who hunt people, scare them by shooting and then hunt them in the forests to take them and bring them back to Bosnia (and potentially beat them, because if they do not mind doing it in front of us all, I'm afraid of what they do when there are no witnesses), and even more, to those who approve all of this.
After that they locked us into the hut and we could not go out until morning. It was done "for our safety", with the approval of other hikers.
What shocked me the most in the whole situation is how the story changed from the original version which was "the police was shooting at migrants who were just asking for water" to "this was just a first group on the look out" and there were "seventy more" and that it is good that the police is there to "protect" us.
There was no word (at least not spoken aloud) about the beatings and shooting anymore, while a part of the hikers (now feeling they have the justification and that the situation is appropriate) began to call migrants „the beasts” and describe them as those who came to fight against us Christians - adding a small reservation - that there are also among them some that are sophisticated and highly educated, who are not "like that", whatever "like that" should mean.This experience has shown me how easy it is to justify violence against other people, even when it happens in front of our eyes. We are able to interpret the violence against as if something else happened. After refugees are successfully stigmatized and dehumanized, people, scared by the media, and racists who lie and capitalize on this fear, become ready to justify violence
Only then I was really frightened - when I saw how the focus of the story changed in 10 minutes, with the suggestion of the manager, the officers, and a few louder hikers. From what we witnessed - unreasonable violence against refugees asking for water – to a story that they are dangerous beasts .
The act of the officers was now seen as not only justified, but also praised to a level that in the morning after some called them our "guardian angels". Of course, there were a couple of dissonant voices, and just thanks to them I got more information, aside from this new "official story" that began to take form shortly after the event.
After we woke up in the morning, we drank coffee out in front of the house. The atmosphere was heated - people talked excitedly about the events of last night while the officers submitted a report that they "caught six of them tonight".
Couple of louder hikers did not hesitate to say some very racist things about refugees. They gave their paranoia and fears a scientific character and explained the difference between "us" and the "beasts" (referring to refugees and migrants). Then I noticed that the whole yard smelled like burnt plastic and I saw the remains of the fire soaking up to us.
Soon I learned that these are the things that officers took from the refugees (they also offered detailed descriptions of how they cut their backpack straps as soon as they catch them...), their backpacks and their clothes ... Apparently, they regularly put all of these things on fire (in front of a hut in a national park in a "civilized country"). Among other things, burnt are the sheets and mattresses used by migrants when they broke into the hut, probably because what they touched, a "normal man" can no longer use.
This experience has shown me how easy it is to justify violence against other people, even when it happens in front of our eyes. We are able to interpret the violence against as if something else happened. After refugees are successfully stigmatized and dehumanized, people, scared by the media, and racists who lie and capitalize on this fear, become ready to justify violence. They lose the ability to empathize, to be compassionate with the suffering of another living creature.The act of the officers was now seen as not only justified, but also praised to a level that in the morning after some called them our "guardian angels"
I do not write this to stigmatize the hikers, because guilt is not individual at all. This example clearly showed that humans in the atmosphere of fear, nationalism, and the recurring stories of "others" and "eternal hatred between us and them" feel more secure and superior as part of a mythical community, in this case as "white Christians." How can these people easily believe that they are just "defending" themselves, that others are "attacking" them - others who are bare-handed, thirsty and hungry, wandering in the mountains they do not know for days.
For days remain hunted by this event, by the violence so close, by the fact that it is being done in "my name" I do not write this to stigmatize the hikers, because guilt is not individual at all. This example clearly showed that humans in the atmosphere of fear, nationalism, and the recurring stories of "others" and "eternal hatred between us and them" feel more secure and superior as part of a mythical communityalso, that it is so present and that it is just a matter of time when it will further escalate, resulting in a disaster for the vast majority of us and the joy of those who (will) benefit from this violence and war.
At the end of it all, a sentence by one of the hikers keeps on coming to mind. In the morning after the event, he said about the refugees: "There are things that separate men from beasts, and they are just beasts."
Many questions and answers I wanted to address with the hiker that said that remain unopened, but I would just ask him one question. In a situation where you have people who ask for water, and on the other side those who respond with gunfire and batons, with the approval of the majority of people present, you really have to wonder if you are in this situation on the side of the people or the beasts.
