Star Metro - Croatia govt lashed over 'disgraceful neo-fascist Woodstock'

Marko Perkovic, known by his stage name Thompson, drew nearly half a million fans to the show Saturday despite having been banned from performing in several countries because of his sympathies for Croatia's World War II fascist Ustasha regime.

The Ustasha persecuted and killed hundreds of thousands of Serbs, Jews, Roma and anti-fascist Croatians during the war, and sent others to concentration camps.

The folk-rock icon became popular for his nationalist songs in the 1990s during the country's war of independence as Yugoslavia broke up.

During Saturday's concert at the Zagreb hippodrome Thompson sang one of his most famous songs that starts with the illegal Ustasha salute -- "Za Dom, Spremni" ("For the Homeland, Ready") -- and the crowd responded.

- 'Global disgrace' -

The salute was also used by the far-right paramilitary unit HOS during the 1990s war, and the singer argued earlier the song referred to that war.

Many fans at the show were dressed in black T-shirts emblazoned with the slogan and dozens sang pro-Ustasha songs in central Zagreb on the eve of the event.

Conservative Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic attended the rehearsal and had a photo taken with the singer, while parliamentary speaker Gordan Jandrokovic was at the event.

The massive use of the Ustasha symbols and slogan at the concert was slammed by left-wing opposition, NGOs and the EU nation's ombudswoman.

But Interior Minister Davor Bozinovic said he "cannot understand those who try to portray half a million people as extremists or radicals".

The main opposition Social Democrats said "we witnessed a global disgrace in which extremist messages received state logistics and direct support from the top of the government."

And a columnist in the Jutarnji list daily lashed Plenkovic's visit on the eve of the concert as "coming to worship... a neo-fascist Woodstock".

The Youth Initiative for Human Rights NGO called the event "the largest fascist rally held in Europe since World War II" and said it represented a "direct attack on the fundamental values of the European Union."

Ombudswoman Tena Simonovic Einwalter warned about condoning a large crowd using the Ustasha salute "as if it were something acceptable and legal.

"A sufficiently clear message was not sent that all expressions of hatred and glorification of the darkest periods of the past are unacceptable and illegal."

In recent years, more people have been pushing for Croatia to stop demonising and embrace its pro-Nazi past, presenting the Ustasha as the nation's founding fathers, with critics accusing the authorities of failing to sanction the use of their emblems.

L.Pelletier--SMC