A record-breaking concert by Croatian singer Marko Perković Thompson has triggered a political debate after video footage showed large numbers of fans giving a World War Two-era Nazi salute, drawing condemnation from rights groups and opposition parties while government officials praised the event’s security and organisation.

Organisers said around 500,000 people gathered on Saturday at Zagreb’s Hippodrome for the concert, making it the largest public event in Croatia’s history. Thousands of police officers were deployed to maintain order, with Interior Minister Davor Božinović describing the concert as an “unseen security challenge” for the country.

Video aired by Croatian media showed many attendees raising their arms in the “For the Homeland – Ready!” salute, which was used by the Ustasha, the fascist regime that ruled Croatia during World War Two and was responsible for the deaths of tens of thousands of Serbs, Jews, Roma and anti-fascist Croats in a network of concentration camps.

The salute is punishable under Croatian law, but courts have ruled that Thompson may use it as part of his song, which begins with the slogan. Perković, whose stage name Thompson comes from the American-made machine gun he used during the 1991-95 war in Croatia, has defended the song as a reflection of that conflict.

“A shared success”

Perković’s performances have long been a source of controversy. He has been banned from performing in some European cities due to his use of slogans and symbols linked to the Ustasha regime, despite arguing that his songs reflect Croatia’s fight for independence during the 1990s rather than endorsing the World War Two regime.

Despite the controversy, Božinović praised the organisation of the concert and the behaviour of attendees, describing the event as “a shared success for all”, a government statement said. 

“It was clear to everyone today that the concert went extremely well in terms of security and that Croatian institutions were ready to carry out such a complex task,” Božinović said. He added that the singer’s organisational team had “professionally carried out” its responsibilities and praised visitors for following instructions “99.9% of the time”.

Božinović criticised opposition parties for condemning the event, accusing them of unfairly labelling the large crowd. “I really don’t understand these people who woke up this morning and labelled half a million Croatian citizens,” he said. “You had a spectacle where people showed how important it is to them. Croatian citizens have their own values that they care about, and in a free society they were able to enjoy that.”

Sharp criticism

However, human rights groups and opposition politicians expressed alarm over the displays at the concert and the government’s response.

Croatian Ombudswoman Tena Šimonović Einwalter criticised the authorities and organisers for failing to publicly denounce the use of Ustasha symbols and salutes during the concert, describing the displays as “contrary to Croatia’s constitutional values”. 

“Instead, the lack of public condemnation sends a message that association with the Ustasha is acceptable in today's Croatia, and this impression has unfortunately been contributed to by years of ignoring the problem, a lack of political determination to solve it, and an abundance of ambiguous messages to citizens by high-ranking officials,” said a statement published on the ombudswoman’s website. 

The Social Democratic Party (SDP) called it “shameful” that the government had not distanced itself from the salute. 

“Instead of using public attention and the organisation of the concert as a unique opportunity to strongly and clearly distance ourselves from all forms of historical revisionism and the Ustasha, we witnessed a global disgrace in which extreme messages received state logistics and direct support from the top of the government,” the party said on its Facebook page. 

The We Can! party led by Zagreb Mayor Tomislav Tomašević also condemned the display, saying the use of the slogan “For the Homeland – Ready!” at the concert was “a great harm to Croatian society”, according to a statement posted on Facebook.

The Youth Initiative for Human Rights described the concert as an attack on Croatia’s constitutional values and the fundamental values of the EU. The group said it was responsible for billboards placed around the concert venue saying “Antifascism is the greatest concept in the world”. 

In neighbouring Serbia, the concert reignited tensions. Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić described the concert as a display of support for pro-Nazi values, when asked for his views by a journalist, according to local media reports. 

Popular performer

Despite these reactions, Perković remains one of Croatia’s most popular performers, with a dedicated following. The Croatian Tax Authority reported that the concert led to a significant increase in hospitality sector revenues in the capital, with the number of receipts rising by 69% and the total value of receipts increasing by 229% compared with the same day last year, as reported by Croatian news agency Hina.

The concert was held under tight security, with police deploying drones, plainclothes officers and sniffer dogs to monitor the massive crowd. No major incidents were reported, although 123 people were detained, mostly for pyrotechnic offences.

The Ministry of Health said in a statement that 1,179 people received medical attention, mainly for dehydration, intoxication and minor injuries, while a few cases involved more serious conditions such as heart rhythm disorders.

Božinović noted that the number of detentions was low relative to the size of the event, adding that Croatian police had consulted with Italian counterparts who organised the previous record for the largest paid concert, Vasco Rossi’s 2017 show in Modena, to prepare for the crowd management.