The City Assembly of the City of Zagreb voted on a Conclusion which calls upon the Mayor of the City of Zagreb to take all necessary measures to ensure that emblems, slogans, and messages that glorify, encourage, or approve national, racial, or religious hatred, including fascist and Ustaša symbols or chants, including “Za dom spremni,” must not be used on public areas and in premises managed by institutions and commercial companies owned by the City, as well as on all public areas for whose use the City issues a permit for the purpose of organizing public events.
The President of the “Možemo” Club of City Representatives, Iva Ivšić, said that the Conclusion is based on the “anti-fascist foundations of the Republic of Croatia written in the Constitution of the Republic of Croatia,” as well as on the positions of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Croatia and the European Court of Human Rights, writes N1 Zagreb.
She emphasized that this does not refer to the prohibition of art, music, or freedom of expression, but clearly defines the limit set by the Constitution of the Republic of Croatia, Article 39, which prohibits and sanctions any incitement to national, racial, or religious hatred and violence.
“The Constitutional Court, in several of its decisions, expressed a clear position that “Za dom spremni” is the Ustaša greeting of the Independent State of Croatia, and that this greeting is not in accordance with the Constitution of the Republic of Croatia, while the European Court of Human Rights in 2019, in the case of Šimunić vs. Croatia, determined that its public use is not protected by freedom of expression because it represents content that encourages hatred based on national, racial, and religious affiliation,” Ivšić explained.
Additional conclusions were presented by the Možemo city representatives.
“In moments when we witness a growth in intolerance, exclusiveness, and violence towards others and those who are different in Croatia, it is our duty to protect public space, because it belongs to all of us. Zagreb must be a city where schools, kindergartens, cultural centers, and streets are safe places where generations are raised who know that respect, solidarity, and equality are not just ideals, but the foundation of a good society.”
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Source: N1, Photo: EPA