Croatia’s leftist president leaves ceremony in protest of shirt displaying pro-Nazi salute

ZAGREB, Croatia — Croatia’s leftist president walks out of a state ceremony in protest after one of the participants wore a T-shirt displaying a salute used during World War II by a pro-Nazi regime in the country.

“This is a deliberate provocation,” Zoran Milanovic says. “I don’t want to be part of it.”

The salute is often displayed by Croatia’s far-right extremists. Many glorify the WWII Croatian state although tens of thousands of Serbs, Jews, Roma and anti-fascists were killed in its concentration camps.

Today’s incident happened during a formal ceremony marking the anniversary of a 1995 military operation when Croatia’s army liberated a swath of territory held by rebel Serbs during the countries’ 1991-95 war.

Croatian media reports that a man, apparently a former fighter from the 1991-95 conflict, was wearing a T-shirt with the WWII salute which prompted Milanovic’s walkout. Other top officials, including conservative Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic, stayed.

“No one knew they would wear those T-shirts,” says Plenkovic. “Anyone who died for Croatia has my respect … we are here to honor the fallen.”

Croatia’s conservative government has faced criticism for failing to curb pro-Nazi sentiments in the country. The dominant conservative party, the Croatian Democratic Union, has a strong right-wing faction.

Milanovic, who won election in January as the candidate of liberal opposition, has demanded that Croatia’s parliament formally outlaws the disputed salute.

— AP