Hundreds march against political repression in Croatia

The marchers also expressed solidarity with the Croatian journalist Gordan Duhacek, who is being prosecuted for publishing a report against police brutality

October 15, 2019 by Peoples Dispatch
Croatia march
The protesters accuse the state of being instrumental in the destruction of hundreds of anti-fascist World War II victory memorials, in a bid to erase the past crimes of the Croatian fascist movement, Ustaše. (Photo: Balkan Insight)

On October 12, anti-fascist organizations in Croatia took out a solidarity march in the capital Zagreb against political repression in the country. The call for the march was given by the Zagreb Anti-Fascist Network, the Anti-Fascist Herald, the Workers’ Initiative and Democratization Base, the Center for Peace Studies, the Youth Initiative for Human Rights, the Workers’ Front, the Workers’ Portal and the Socialist Workers’ Party of Croatia (SRP).

According to a Balkan Insight report, hundreds of people marched in Zagreb on Saturday against the rise in political repression and hate crimes in the country. The protesters accused the state of targeting anti-fascist activists, while being instrumental in the destruction of hundreds of anti-fascist victory memorials from the World War II era. It was alleged that the regime in Croatia is curbing voices that demand recognition of and justice for the victims of the Croatian fascist movement, Ustaše.

The Socialist Workers’ Party of Croatia said, “On Saturday, we marched against political repression and stopped at several points along the way to warn that the state is carrying out political violence in different ways and through different institutions – history is being forged, memory is being suppressed, ideology is being suppressed and violence is guarded by regime’s version of truth. Such policies are devastating to society and we must jointly resist them. Therefore, the main slogan of this year’s march was ‘Solidarity against Political Repression’.”

The marchers also expressed solidarity with and support to Croatian journalist Gordan Duhacek, who has been prosecuted for publishing a report against police atrocities.