Defending “For Home Ready” greeting
Zagreb, Croatia, 11 November 2017
Photo: Screenshot
It is a cruel insult and cruel irony that on Armistice Day, 11th November, when World War I allies mark with respect and piety those who gave their lives for freedom and their emblems, police authorities in Zagreb, Croatia, go about disrupting remembrance gathering organised for the unveiling of the monument to the legendary Zarko Manjkas – Crvenkapa, who lost his life defending Vukovar and freedom for Croatia in November 1991, and attempt to seize the HOS (Croatian Defence Forces) flag under which Crvenkapa fought and died. The monument itself does not have the HOS emblem under which Crvenkapa lost his life fighting, which is a sad and utterly unjust consequence of current push in Croatia to declare the “Za Dom Spremni” (For Home Ready) illegal. The HOS emblem itself and the flag carrying it are protected under the Croatian law. On it, the salute “Za Dom Spremni” (For Home Ready) is written and the process to render this salute illegal is already in train as the left-leaning lot carrying political and power clout wrongfully place its origins in WWII fight for Croatian independence.
Just imagine a Britain, or any Allied country, today where the salute and greeting “For Home and Country”, or similar WWI or WWII salutes across the Allied world, were threatened with bastardisation and extinction! The protests would be as fierce as defending freedom from aggression were.
It was such an uplifting feeling to watch Croatia’s brave young, many of whom are children or grandchildren of those who gave their lives for Croatia’s independence, fiercely and determinately hold their stead, refusing to budge to the police pressure to remove the HOS with “Za Dom Spremni” salute from sight at the unveiling of monument to Crvenkapa.
The words exchanged between a young lady holding the HOS flag, other young people there, and police as recorded on the video taken in Zagreb on Saturday 11 November at the unveiling of monument to the fallen HOS fighter for freedom are as follows:
Young man: “It’s a mistake for the man who got killed for Croatia as member of HOS … everyone here is bothered by the fact that the monument is missing the HOS emblem, because he died for that, in that unit.”
Young lady holding HOS flag: “Why we are here? To give honour to our killed Crvenkapa, keeping in mind that we are very saddened by the fact that there is no HOS emblem on the monument nor ‘For Home Ready’ sign that he proudly carried and under which insignia he was killed … What impression will the future generations have looking at this monument…that Croats respect their patriots, their defenders who gave their lives for Croatia …for the freedom of Croatia.”
Policeman: “Close the flag … you have breached the law”
Police try to remove legal Croatian army banner
Photo: Screenshot
Young lady holding HOS flag: “We have breached no law, this is a legal Croatian army flag…Manjkas died under this emblem on his cap and you did not put it on the monument … who is bothered by the emblem I don’t know…you cannot move a flag at the opening of a park dedicated to a HOS fighter …”
Jounalist to the young lady holding the HOS flag: “What do you say about being chased out from here?”
Young lady holding HOS flag: “What’s there to say! Do we live in a free a free Croatia, or is this still Yugoslavia? Do Chetniks (Serbs) rule over Croatia or, perhaps, Croats …let’s take authority into our own hands and free ourselves from the pests …” – “No, not a chance, no…this flag is legal Croatian army flag that created our State,” she replies as another policeman’s insistence that she takes the HOS flag down.
Second policeman: “Please, everything is alright, the flag is O.K., move the banner…”
Young lady holding HOS flag: “Why, why should the banner be taken down. We are trying to show a big mistake, a big injustice …”
Second young man: “This is persecution of Croatian defenders … this is not right… my father was in the 204th Vukovar brigade, he fought together with HOS, HOS carried its own insignia ‘Za Dom Spremni’ and HSP (Croatian Party of Rights) was written there …”
Policeman: “Move the banner! …” ( The banner had writing on it: “Who is bothered by the ‘For Home Ready’ greeting on Crvenkapa’s monument?”
Third policeman: “Young lady, let’s have a talk, come with me…come here…” Young lady holding HOS flag: “But why!? … OK…”
Journalist: “Why are you forbidding them…” he asks the policeman
Third policeman: “We are not forbidding anything …” he says as he lead the young lady holding the HOS flag to the side.
Zarko Manjkas Crvenkapa Monument
Zagreb, Croatia
Photo: afp
The police, despite trying very hard, did not manage to intimidate these young people insisting on showing the flag and banner under which members of HOS fought and died for independent Croatia. So proud! Make no mistake here – Croatian authorities and their pervasive communist mindset are attempting to kill the love for independent Croatia that carried its defenders into the bloody battles of Serb aggression during early 1990s. No different to oppression that was in communist Yugoslavia. How else could one interpret the intimidating police surges against the holding up of a legal banner!? Ina Vukic
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So very proud of these young people. We need more like them. A critical mass is needed to turn things around in Croatia.
Problem is people are brainwashed or self-serving.
Croatia is a Chetnik colony where Chetnik and communist symbology is allowed but not this. Disgraceful!
So proud too, Veronika. Let’s hope there will be masses more like this young lady steering for changes otherwise their future is threatened and that’s a future worth fighting against any which way
If there is one saving grace in this is that I’m glad that there are still young people who stand by their convictions and love for Croatia and understand who the HOS was. I’m not sure why she was even asked to remove the flag and the police questioning here. You can see that the police officer was uncomfortable and judging by his age he looked like he was a soldier during the war but, I’d love to know how they can take away anything with “Za Dom Spremni” on it when those words were proven by a court of law in Croatia as harmless…going by this, then the play “Nikola Subic Zrinski” should be banned as well because they have a song that states those exact words. Pretty soon they will be arresting us for being Croatian just like they used to do…its amazing. Yet, these same people that allow for the banning and talking away of HOS Flags, plaques, and Za Dom Spremni are the same people that allow the gathering of Yugo Communists in Kumrovec to celebrate the murderer Tito and allow them to fly Yugoslav Flags and Croatian flags with the red star instead of the Grb on it shouting anti-Croatian slogans. No police telling any of those people to remove their flags and slogans. The Yugoslav far left’s new mantra, “Freedom of Speech for me, but not for thee.”
Mind boggling, Stevie. What irritates ad angers is the blatant disregard by authorities to do something about communist flags and slogans being banned. Too much red around still…
What a joke! Seriously what is going on in Croatia! I always see this old fellow in my local shops who wears a shirt with the hos emblem and “za Dom spremni” on it. I love it.
Nothing like being proud of always being ready – for home, Anna.
Totally agree Ina!
What to say…..I am conflicted with opposing emotions. On the one hand with both pride and optimism for the future , but on the other hand with shame and anger for the present status quo in our country. This is an example of Croatian democracy and right to freedom of expression in 2017! Smacks of totalitarian jugosmrdija does it not? I do not personally know these young demonstrators/patriots, but I feel so grateful that such brave, intelligent people exist in such a politically jugoslav/partisan/antifascist oriented society. I applaud them for standing for truth in an era and location where truth is definitely a rare commodity. Let us hope this is the beginning of an awakening in Croatia, and if not, then I know blacker days are yet to come.
Za Dom Spremni!
Such young people need all the support we can give, Velebit – after all independence and democracy were fought for so that Croatia’s future generations have a change of a decent life and now we see that threatened and have been seeing it threatened. Just heartbreaking!
The country is stuffed with Yugoslav lovers and they want Tito back they think will be better off haha stupid dumb Yugoslavs they don’t know how to run a country as they have always been run by other people and they are scared of what the world will think if we look facist I say to hell with the world and the English and yanks they watched as we were getting killed by serbs
There’s much to be said for self-determination, Jure, and Croatia needs people who recognise it as a glorious path. But, the politicians ruling the roost seem to lack much courage and pride for Croatia…
What a disgrace to a free Croatia. There is only one word for this – rage! Croatia you need to rage against the red tide rising and take back your freedom. These young people are inspiring and makes me hopeful that the next generation will liberate Croatia from mental communism. BTW, I am going to get a big f’n HOS/ZDS tattoo for my next visit to Croatia. But be prepared to witness the ‘red’ police skin me alive to remove it.
That’s the spirit, Sunman! The more one shows pride for what one stands the more that is accepted, otherwise one gets run down and trodden upon …
Reblogged this on Arlin Report and commented:
Great article Ina!
Thanks for reblog, Arlin
We know a lion even when its still young. Young people who are courageous enough to stand up for what is right deserve applause and support.
Indeed, Ngo Besings