Croat singer introduces Ustasha salute

Croatian pop singer Marko Perkovic aka Thompson is once again stirring up controversy with his concerts. He started his show in Biograd, Croatia, on Saturday night with the Ustasha greeting of "Za dom spremni" (For home-ready). Croat singer introduces Ustasha salute Ustashas were members of the WW2 puppet Nazi Independent State of Croatia (NDH) regime, responsible for running death camps such as Jasenovac. The phrase was used instead of the Nazi "Sieg heil". "We'll sing 'Cavoglave', only not like up until now, but like we did in 1991, with shouts of 'Za dom spremni', no matter how much anyone minds it. I will keep silent no longer, enough is enough! We are ready for home, although the traitors don't want it that way. For home!" Perkovic addressed his fans. He continued to tell the crowd gathered at the city stadium that Croatia was not created by anti-Fascists and accused Croatian President Stjepan Mesic and leader of the Istria Democratic Alliance Damir Kajin of being "the greatest traitors". "To those who hate Croatia I send a message that they won't be able to extinguish the Croat unity," said Perkovic. According to Croatia's media, police in the town reported neither incidents of hate speech occurring at the concert, nor insulting remarks about the country's president. But after numerous reactions from citizens, the media are saying this Monday, police will launch a probe to determine whether the law was broken during the event. The Association of Young Anti-Fascists of the City of Zagreb, meanwhile, reacted by saying that "all masks are finally off in Croatia". "Thus far, the Ustasha salute 'Za dom spremni' was not pronounced whole, rather one part was howled by the crowd, and another by the singer himself. It seems that time is ripe once again for the slogan to be used publicly and without any fear that it may meet with condemnation," a statement from the association said. It also reminds that Croatia's fascists used the phrase while killing hundreds of thousands of people. "Now, when the situation in the country is worse than it has been in the past ten years, instead of the real culprit, 'haters of Croatia' are being invented, in order to shift the attention from real problems." "Who benefits from talk about Ustashas and Partisans instead of talking about VAT increases? Precisely those who use Thompson as a means to shift the focus from the problems, in order to manipulate the masses," the statement concludes.

Croat singer introduces Ustasha salute

Ustashas were members of the WW2 puppet Nazi Independent State of Croatia (NDH) regime, responsible for running death camps such as Jasenovac. The phrase was used instead of the Nazi "Sieg heil".

"We'll sing 'Čavoglave', only not like up until now, but like we did in 1991, with shouts of 'Za dom spremni', no matter how much anyone minds it. I will keep silent no longer, enough is enough! We are ready for home, although the traitors don't want it that way. For home!" Perković addressed his fans.

He continued to tell the crowd gathered at the city stadium that Croatia was not created by anti-Fascists and accused Croatian President Stjepan Mesić and leader of the Istria Democratic Alliance Damir Kajin of being "the greatest traitors".

"To those who hate Croatia I send a message that they won't be able to extinguish the Croat unity," said Perković.

According to Croatia's media, police in the town reported neither incidents of hate speech occurring at the concert, nor insulting remarks about the country's president. But after numerous reactions from citizens, the media are saying this Monday, police will launch a probe to determine whether the law was broken during the event.

The Association of Young Anti-Fascists of the City of Zagreb, meanwhile, reacted by saying that "all masks are finally off in Croatia".

"Thus far, the Ustasha salute 'Za dom spremni' was not pronounced whole, rather one part was howled by the crowd, and another by the singer himself. It seems that time is ripe once again for the slogan to be used publicly and without any fear that it may meet with condemnation," a statement from the association said.

It also reminds that Croatia's fascists used the phrase while killing hundreds of thousands of people.

"Now, when the situation in the country is worse than it has been in the past ten years, instead of the real culprit, 'haters of Croatia' are being invented, in order to shift the attention from real problems."

"Who benefits from talk about Ustashas and Partisans instead of talking about VAT increases? Precisely those who use Thompson as a means to shift the focus from the problems, in order to manipulate the masses," the statement concludes.