President Ivo Josipovic said on Monday he did not support a gathering of European sister parties of the Croatian Pure Party of Rights (HCSP) at an international nationalist conference scheduled to be held in Zagreb on Friday.
Participants in the conference are expected to join the HCSP in a protest march called "For the Generals" in Croatia's capital on Saturday.
Josipovic said he did not support the event because among the participants in the conference were those questioning Croatia's territorial integrity and their platforms included hate speech.
"Among the participants are those who are seriously questioning Croatia's territorial integrity, as their programmes include hate speech, so I am not happy that they are here," Josipovic said, adding that they will either be granted or denied permission for their meetings, in accordance with Croatia's laws.
HCSP president Josip Miljak said last week he expected the arrival of some 100 representatives of sister parties and associations from Hungary, Bulgaria, Germany, Austria, France and Belgium, namely Flanders.
The HCSP announced Saturday's march through Zagreb and police said they did not receive a report that a counter-protest would be held, which does not mean it will not be held, as rallies must be reported at least 48 hours earlier.
The Civic Initiative on its Facebook profile called on citizens to join their rally called "United Against Fascism", to be held in Zagreb's central Ban Jelacic Square on Saturday between 11 am and 2 pm.
The Civic Initiative said the protest march organised by the HCSP was only "a sugar-coated fascist event", adding they would invest efforts to stop the march, even by forming human shields if necessary.
