11 May 2018 | 06:34 PM UTC
Austria: Neo-Nazi rally in Bleiburg May 12
Croatian neo-Nazi groups to rally in Bleiburg on May 12; avoid all protests
Event
Croatian neo-Nazi and pro-Ustaše groups have called for a rally to take place in Bleiburg (Carinthia state) on Saturday, May 12. According to local sources, demonstrators are expected to gather around the Bleiburg Memorial. Security is likely to be tight around all gatherings, and confrontations between counter-protesters and demonstrators are possible. Transportation disruptions are anticipated throughout Bleiburg.
Context
Croatian neo-Nazi and pro-Ustaše groups have staged annual rallies in Bleiburg for over 30 years to commemorate the killings of fascist and pro-Nazi fighters and supporters by Yugoslav Partisans in the town in May 1945. In past years, up to 20,000 people have participated in the Bleiburg rallies.
The Ustaše were a Croatian pro-Nazi and ultranationalist political organization and paramilitary group. It cooperated with the Nazi regime during the Holocaust, and is accused of having murdered hundreds of thousands of Jews, Serbs, and ethnic and religious minorities.
Advice
Individuals in Bleiburg are advised to keep abreast of the situation, strictly avoid all protests due to the risk of violence, and adhere to any advice issued by their home governments.
