PUPOVAC: UNCONDEMNED HATE MESSAGES LEAD TO RADICALIZATION

ZAGREB, JANUARY 31 /SRNA/ – Milorad Pupovac, a deputy of the Independent Democratic Serb Party in the Croatian Parliament, said he was not surprised by graffiti calling for his murder, adding that such messages are part of a culture of hatred visible in cities and other public spaces across Croatia, which without public condemnation lead to radicalization.

"Messages such as `Kill a Serb!` have for a long time been freely and unhindered written or shouted before, during, and after sports or music events. This message is only the most extreme expression of hatred and calls for violence that we regularly receive in our inboxes or in comments under posts about our activities," Pupovac said. He points out that similar hate messages can be seen in cities and other public spaces, such as the Ustasha salute “For Homeland-Ready!/Za dom spremni!” and Nazi swastikas. "Some of these hate messages are also heard in Parliament; frequently public media give them space without condemnation or comment. With such an attitude toward this kind of messaging, we can expect only their spread and further radicalization. Therefore, we may ask what comes next and who will be next," Pupovac emphasized. Graffiti calling for the murder of Milorad Pupovac, a deputy of the Independent Democratic Serb Party in the Croatian Parliament, along with Ustasha symbols, have appeared near the Savski Gaj Elementary School in Zagreb, the Serb National Council /SNV/ announced. Sprayed on an underpass near the school are the Ustasha symbol, the letter "U" and a swastika, the message "Kill Pupovac," and the inscription "Ustashas New Zagreb".