Right-Wing Croatian Singer’s Concert Sparks Controversy Over Nazi Salute
At a recent concert in Zagreb, Croatian singer Marko Perkovic, known as Thompson, performed for a crowd of hundreds of thousands while using the pro-Nazi salute, which has drawn widespread criticism. His song, which incorporates the salute used by the Ustasha regime, a Nazi-era puppet regime, has sparked controversy due to its connection to the brutal killing of tens of thousands of Serbs, Jews, Roma, and antifascist Croats during World War II. Despite its contentious history and Perkovic’s history of being banned from performing in some European cities, the salute’s usage is permitted by Croatian law. The concert, described as the largest in the country’s history, has been condemned by neighboring Serbia as glorifying pro-Nazi values, underscoring the lingering nationalist sentiments and complex historical interpretations within Croatia.
John Q. Hosedrinker