ZAGREB, CROATIA - “We are people that are aware that this Croatia would not exist if there were no anti-fascists and their heroic fight more than six decades ago. No matter how much some do not like it, but that is the way it is” said the Croatian president Stjepan Mesic at the ceremony marking the 65th anniversary of the 10th Zagreb corpus of the N.O. (People’s Liberation) Army of Croatia. He added that the (World War II) Independent State of Croatia was a criminal creation that soiled the Croatian name, and that Tito and the anti-fascists fixed the image of Croatia. He stressed that he never misses such meetings, even though that some will say that he is nostalgic.

Mesic considers that the crimes of individuals, that were not the politics of anti-fascism, cannot compromise the whole anti-fascist fight. Mesic’s sentence that it is unacceptable to even think of equalising symbols of Nazi-fascism and antifascism, and that the soldiers of the 10th Zagreb corpus fought under the Croatian three coloured flag with a red star, gained a strong applause from those gathered.

“I call younger generations to learn from history, not for them to be prisoners by it, even less hostages, but to not be forced to make the same mistakes” said president Mesic.

Zagreb’s mayor Milan Bandic also addressed the public, by saying that Zagreb and Croatia have to be democratic and fair, and that in that fight we need anti-fascist fighters.

“You, your children and their children, your grandchildren and great grandchildren should continue the noble fight for high ideals” said the mayor. “Death to fascism, freedom to the people” said the mayor at the end of his speech.