Trendpills
Thousands of people marched through Croatia's capital, Zagreb, on Saturday, November 30, to protest what they describe as a dangerous surge in far-right nationalism and historical revisionism. The demonstration, organized by anti-fascist groups, follows a series of recent ethnically and politically motivated incidents that have alarmed civil society and minority communities across the country.
Protesters gathered under the slogan "We will not be silent," carrying banners with messages such as "Death to fascism, freedom to the people" and "No pasaran" (They shall not pass). The march was spurred by several recent events, including an attempt by a mob to disrupt an event at the Serbian Cultural Center in Zagreb and an attack on an anti-fascist activist in Rijeka. Recent nationalist incidents have raised alarms among human rights advocates, who point to a pattern of escalating intolerance.
Many critics link the current climate to the political shift following the April elections. After the vote, the ruling center-right Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) formed a coalition with the far-right Homeland Movement (DP) to secure a parliamentary majority. The DP has been accused of promoting historical revisionism, particularly regarding the World War II-era Ustashe regime, a Nazi puppet state responsible for mass killings. The new coalition government's composition has been a significant point of concern for human rights organizations both locally and internationally.
The demonstrators in Zagreb voiced fears that the government's alliance with the far-right is legitimizing extremist views and threatening Croatia's democratic standards and minority rights. According to organizers and media reports, the protest aimed to pressure the government into taking decisive action against the rise of fascism and to uphold the country's constitutional values. The event underscores a growing societal division and places the spotlight on the Croatian government's handling of radical nationalism and its impact on public life and national memory.
