ZAGREB RESIDENTS MARK VICTORY OF WW2 ANTIFASCIST COALITION

ZAGREB, May 9 (Hina) - Several hundred people gathered in Croatian Great Men Square in central Zagreb on Thursday to mark the 51st anniversary of the victory of the antifascist coalition which ended World War Two and to demand that the square be given back its old name - Victims of Fascism Square. Zoran Pusic, president of the committee for restoration of the old name to the square, said that the Croatian people were proud of their antifascist tradition. "By gathering here today we show that we won't forget the victims of fascism but we also want to draw attention to the victims of any other totalitarianism," Pusic said. The president of the Federation of Antifascist Veterans, Ivan Fumic, stressed Croatia's contribution to the victory of the antifascist coalition, saying that without the antifascist struggle of the Croatian people during World War Two there would not have been independent Croatia today. The president of the Jewish community, Ognjen Kraus, also called for the old name of the square to be returned. The gathering was also addressed by representatives of social democratic parties and human rights groups. 092228 MET may 96