394

A hugely popular right-wing Croatian singer and hundreds of thousands of his fans performed a pro-Nazi World War II salute at a massive concert in Zagreb, drawing criticism.

One of Marko Perkovic’s most popular songs, played in the late Saturday concert, starts with the dreaded “For the homeland — Ready!” salute, used by Croatia’s Nazi-era puppet Ustasha regime that ran concentration camps at the time.

Perkovic, whose stage name is Thompson after a U.S.-made machine gun, had previously said both the song and the salute focus on the 1991-95 ethnic war in Croatia, in which he fought using the American firearm, after the country declared independence from the former Yugoslavia. He says his controversial song is “a witness of an era.”

all 50 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[-] cygnus@lemmy.ca 180 points 3 weeks ago

How is a "pro-Nazi salute" different from a "Nazi salute"?

[-] FreshParsnip@lemmy.ca 99 points 3 weeks ago

I've always wondered what the difference is between a "nazi sympathizer" and a nazi

[-] cygnus@lemmy.ca 48 points 3 weeks ago

Maybe they're only a Nazi if they're a card-carrying member of the NSDAP, otherwise they're only a sparkling fascist.

[-] ininewcrow@lemmy.ca 24 points 3 weeks ago

None .... it's always OK to punch a Nazi ... and its also OK to punch a Nazi sympathizer

[-] ILikeBoobies@lemmy.ca 6 points 3 weeks ago

Well Finland and some Ukrainians joined the Axis because Russia (USSR at the time) was their enemy

And

Thailand joined the axis to reclaim land from Britain and France

They weren’t Nazis but maybe they were sympathetic?

[-] floo@retrolemmy.com 4 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

Nothing at all.

[-] Mihies@programming.dev 19 points 3 weeks ago

It's an ustaše salute, they were buddies with Nazis.

[-] cygnus@lemmy.ca 4 points 3 weeks ago

Good point, but unless the ustashe independently invented it, I'd consider it a Nazi salute.

[-] antonim@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 3 weeks ago

unless the ustashe independently invented it

They did, they weren't instructed by German nazis on what words to use. Not that it makes any difference, ustašas were just the local variant of fascists.

[-] Mihies@programming.dev 3 points 3 weeks ago

I don't think it's right hand salute, if you mean the thing Musk did

[-] nkat2112@sh.itjust.works 9 points 3 weeks ago

Thank you for asking the important question. I came here to up-vote your comment.

[-] couldhavebeenyou@lemmy.zip 7 points 3 weeks ago

It´s because he makes a living with it

[-] IndustryStandard@lemmy.world 75 points 3 weeks ago

pro-Nazi salute?

You mean ehhhh

A Nazi salute?

[-] brown_guy45@lemmy.zip 55 points 3 weeks ago

"what's the difference between a nazi sympathiser and a nazi?"

[-] HenryDorsett@lemmy.world 27 points 3 weeks ago

What do you have when a person sits down at a table with 3 nazis?

4 nazis.

[-] derry@midwest.social 19 points 3 weeks ago

They're the same picture.jpg

[-] reddig33@lemmy.world 48 points 3 weeks ago
[-] Sterile_Technique@lemmy.world 40 points 3 weeks ago

right wing

Nazi

You don't have to say it twice...

[-] Salamanderwizard@lemmy.world 37 points 3 weeks ago

Napalm is a problem solver. Just sayin.

[-] UltraMagnus0001@lemmy.world 22 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

So, can't support Palestine in the EU, but Nazi salutes and support are good.

[-] DeathByBigSad@sh.itjust.works 7 points 3 weeks ago

Its fine, netanyahu gave them the "H-Word Pass" (its like the "N-Word Pass" but for "heil hitler") /s

[-] Redex68@lemmy.world 4 points 3 weeks ago

I mean, it's technically illegal here, just that the government turns a blind eye when it's popular

[-] rumimevlevi@lemmings.world 17 points 3 weeks ago

Real antiaemitism is not critisized by the.governments and pro israel people but condemn anti occupation people

[-] Karrion409@lemmy.world 17 points 3 weeks ago

This shit really is just on the rise globally huh ? Time to bust out the Ole M1 Garand

[-] Redex68@lemmy.world 4 points 3 weeks ago

It has been equally present here since independence basically. The concert just drew them out of the woodworks more than usual

[-] MoonRaven@feddit.nl 16 points 3 weeks ago

So this means their visas are being checked and converts are being cancelled... Right...? Riiiight???

[-] eistari@lemmy.world 2 points 3 weeks ago

They are croatians in Croatia, what visas are you taking about?

[-] RvTV95XBeo@sh.itjust.works 2 points 3 weeks ago

The current administration is very anti-antisemitism, I'm sure they'll get right on it.... Any minute now.....

[-] avidamoeba@lemmy.ca 10 points 3 weeks ago

the salute focus on the 1991-95 ethnic war in Croatia, in which he fought using the American firearm, after the country declared independence from the former Yugoslavia.

Ah the old reliable anti-communist gotta fascist rule.

[-] antonim@lemmy.dbzer0.com 8 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

There was little to no actual anti-communism at play at that point (although it was still relevant symbolically). Both sides were already capitalist. Yugoslavia had been on the path of liberalisation for quite a while before the breakup.

Btw, that excuse that Thompson and his fans regularly use is bullshit, the phrase was picked by Croatian extremists (especially the paramilitary HOS) in the 90s because it was used by ustašas (fascists) half a century earlier in the first place.

[-] itisileclerk@lemmy.world 8 points 3 weeks ago

80 years later, the number of Ustasha supporters exceeded the number of Ustasha victims in World War II. People really do have short memories.

[-] Redex68@lemmy.world 7 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

While I know it won't happen, it would be so fucking funny if they arrested all of the like 500k attendees for the salute

[-] romantired@shibanu.app 5 points 3 weeks ago

What if it's just an ancient Roman salute from the heart to the sun?

[-] SkunkWorkz@lemmy.world 5 points 3 weeks ago

Shit like this should have been rooted out before they became a full member of the EU. This will only embolden Nazi in other EU nations.

[-] Redex68@lemmy.world 4 points 3 weeks ago

Fucking clowns, I hate Thompson so much

[-] selokichtli@lemmy.ml 3 points 3 weeks ago

Hey, be wary of a ban in case you dehumanize Nazis in some Lemmy communities.

[-] huppakee@feddit.nl 2 points 3 weeks ago

When scrolled past this post i assumed it was news about some gay party somewhere, then I noticed the women aren't dressed for that, than i noticed the headline was about something nazi happening at the party and only then i realised the gay part was only in my head because of the shirtless dude doing the nazi salute the headline is talking about. How is it possible all these right wing conservative people are so against anything gay but then decide to look like that and how are all of their likeminded people so ok with it? If i showed up to a pride somewhere they'd beat me up for it. So strange.

[-] f34r@sh.itjust.works 1 points 3 weeks ago

I’m not a fan of him at all, but I have to say that every information in this article is misleading. Of course that the small minority of retards did the salute, however, this for sure is not a representative of the whole event. Marko did not perform this salute. This is a lie. I hope they get criminally prosecuted.

[-] breezeblock@lemmy.ca 9 points 3 weeks ago

By “criminally prosecuted” the poster refers to the fact that the nazi salute is illegal in Croatia — a fact mentioned in the article.

[-] antonim@lemmy.dbzer0.com 7 points 3 weeks ago

the small minority of retards did the salute

The words "za dom spremni" are the salute, and everyone participated in that, Thompson initiated it.

this post was submitted on 06 Jul 2025
394 points (100.0% liked)

World News

48781 readers
1877 users here now

A community for discussing events around the World

Rules:

Similarly, if you see posts along these lines, do not engage. Report them, block them, and live a happier life than they do. We see too many slapfights that boil down to "Mom! He's bugging me!" and "I'm not touching you!" Going forward, slapfights will result in removed comments and temp bans to cool off.

We ask that the users report any comment or post that violate the rules, to use critical thinking when reading, posting or commenting. Users that post off-topic spam, advocate violence, have multiple comments or posts removed, weaponize reports or violate the code of conduct will be banned.

All posts and comments will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. This means that some content that violates the rules may be allowed, while other content that does not violate the rules may be removed. The moderators retain the right to remove any content and ban users.


Lemmy World Partners

News !news@lemmy.world

Politics !politics@lemmy.world

World Politics !globalpolitics@lemmy.world


Recommendations

For Firefox users, there is media bias / propaganda / fact check plugin.

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/media-bias-fact-check/

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS