Offensive graffiti against politicians in Vojvodina

NOVI SAD Unknown perpetrators have sprayed an offensive graffiti on a road sign in a Novi Sad neighborhood, targeting LSV party leader Nenad Canak. The graffiti reads, "Canak Ustasha". Offensive graffiti against politicians in Vojvodina At the same time, another graffiti appeared on the building of the Faculty of Philosophy, reading, "Pavlicic, Ustasha. He's finished. Vojovodina's next." Igor Pavlicic is the mayor of Novi Sad, and a Democratic Party (DS) official. Ustashas were the military branch of the pro-Nazi WW2 Independent State of Croatia (NDH), responsible for the mass murder in death camps of Serb, Jewish and Roma civilians. A sign with the name of the street where the faculty's building is located - named after assassinated Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic - was also removed. Reacting to the incidents, a coalition of NGOs dubbed the Civil Vojvodina will on Monday hold a protest rally under the slogan, "Against hatred, stop to fascism". All this comes as the Serb Progressive Party (SNS) has for weeks been trying to replace Pavlicic at the helm of the city administration, where the DS and the LSV are coalition parters. It was announced last week that the SNS had won the support of several other parties, including the SPS, to do this, and on Monday City Assembly Chairwoman Aleksandra Jerkov of the LSV said that a session of this body would be held on September 12. She also commented on the appearance of the graffiti to say that there was "an atmosphere of lynch in Novi Sad", aimed at launching "persecution of political opponents": "It is indicative that the graffiti had shown up at the same time as the announced change of the government in Novi Sad. I think that nothing good will come to Novi Sad residents if these people, who have been doing this, really do come to power." According to her - the message of the graffiti is that "anyone who is different has no place in Novi Sad". Jerkov added that she was confident that the Novi Sad residents would not tolerate such attitudes. "It is indicative that hate graffiti are being written against political opponents, and bearing in mind the political history of the SNS, to my mind it fits with their political ideology thus far to refer to people as Ustashas," she told Tanjug. Meanwhile, Parliamentary Committee on Human Rights and Gender Equality Chairman Meho Omerovic condemned in the strongest terms the appearance of the graffiti messages, and asked for the police to react urgently and detain those responsible. "On the occasion of the chauvinist graffiti written against Canak and Pavlicic I am demanding the most urgent reaction of the police, and the detention of the perpetrators of this act of hatred," he said in a statement sent to Tanjug. The graffiti declaring Canak an 'Ustasha' (Tanjug) B92 Beta Tanjug

Offensive graffiti against politicians in Vojvodina

At the same time, another graffiti appeared on the building of the Faculty of Philosophy, reading, "Pavličić, Ustasha. He's finished. Vojovodina's next."

Igor Pavličić is the mayor of Novi Sad, and a Democratic Party (DS) official.

Ustashas were the military branch of the pro-Nazi WW2 Independent State of Croatia (NDH), responsible for the mass murder in death camps of Serb, Jewish and Roma civilians.

A sign with the name of the street where the faculty's building is located - named after assassinated Prime Minister Zoran Đinđić - was also removed.

Reacting to the incidents, a coalition of NGOs dubbed the Civil Vojvodina will on Monday hold a protest rally under the slogan, "Against hatred, stop to fascism".

All this comes as the Serb Progressive Party (SNS) has for weeks been trying to replace Pavličić at the helm of the city administration, where the DS and the LSV are coalition parters.

It was announced last week that the SNS had won the support of several other parties, including the SPS, to do this, and on Monday City Assembly Chairwoman Aleksandra Jerkov of the LSV said that a session of this body would be held on September 12.

She also commented on the appearance of the graffiti to say that there was "an atmosphere of lynch in Novi Sad", aimed at launching "persecution of political opponents":

"It is indicative that the graffiti had shown up at the same time as the announced change of the government in Novi Sad. I think that nothing good will come to Novi Sad residents if these people, who have been doing this, really do come to power."

According to her - the message of the graffiti is that "anyone who is different has no place in Novi Sad". Jerkov added that she was confident that the Novi Sad residents would not tolerate such attitudes.

"It is indicative that hate graffiti are being written against political opponents, and bearing in mind the political history of the SNS, to my mind it fits with their political ideology thus far to refer to people as Ustashas," she told Tanjug.

Meanwhile, Parliamentary Committee on Human Rights and Gender Equality Chairman Meho Omerović condemned in the strongest terms the appearance of the graffiti messages, and asked for the police to react urgently and detain those responsible.

"On the occasion of the chauvinist graffiti written against Čanak and Pavličić I am demanding the most urgent reaction of the police, and the detention of the perpetrators of this act of hatred," he said in a statement sent to Tanjug.