ZAGREB ZAGREB, Feb 19 (Hina) - Between 8,000 and 10,000 people gathered on Zagreb's central square on Monday afternoon for a rally organised by some 30 non-governmental organisations under the name "One Hour for the Rule-Of-Law". "We
have had enough of intolerance and now want to give a vote for solidarity and non-violence," Vesna Terselic of the Croatian Anti-War Campaign said opening the rally which organisers said was a response to messages heard during recent protests held by war veterans' associations in support of Mirko Norac, a retired general suspected of war crimes against civilians. The motto of the action is "A Crime is a Crime is a Crime", Terselic said, stressing it was important to prosecute all war crimes and individualise guilt. The people attending carried banners saying "Humanity Over Nationalism", "All Different - All Equal", "No Passaran - Death to Fascism" and "Nationalism Stops with the Deat
ZAGREB, Feb 19 (Hina) - Between 8,000 and 10,000 people gathered on
Zagreb's central square on Monday afternoon for a rally organised
by some 30 non-governmental organisations under the name "One Hour
for the Rule-Of-Law".
"We have had enough of intolerance and now want to give a vote for
solidarity and non-violence," Vesna Terselic of the Croatian Anti-
War Campaign said opening the rally which organisers said was a
response to messages heard during recent protests held by war
veterans' associations in support of Mirko Norac, a retired general
suspected of war crimes against civilians.
The motto of the action is "A Crime is a Crime is a Crime", Terselic
said, stressing it was important to prosecute all war crimes and
individualise guilt.
The people attending carried banners saying "Humanity Over
Nationalism", "All Different - All Equal", "No Passaran - Death to
Fascism" and "Nationalism Stops with the Death of the State".
Ivan Supek, president of the Movement for Social Justice and
Democracy, said the new authorities had not sufficiently squared
accounts with the totalitarian legacy of the past decade and that
this was the main demand of the organisers.
Supek said we should affirm human freedom and justice, the basic
principles on which democratic society is built. It is a pledge to
develop Croatia as a state of well-being, freedom, and justice, he
said.
Stipe Radulovic, a war veteran, said the heroes were those who had
sacrificed themselves to defend Croatia and did not turn that into a
profession.
Croatia's problem is not the trial of citizen Mirko Norac but the
non-existence of the civilian standard that all people are equal
before the law, said Zoran Pusic, president of a civic human rights
committee.
He added another problem was the existence of political groups and
parties which saw the eruption of riots and clashes in Croatia and
its isolation from the world as their only chance.
The message of today's rally is that there is civic awareness and
that citizens have the right to take part in decision-making and not
only vote at elections, said Mladen Majetic of the Zamir
association.
Today's rally passed without incidents and in good spirits.
(hina) ha