The Association of Croatian War veterans 1990-1996 are inviting all veterans and citizens to a peaceful protest rally in central Zagreb on Saturday after the UN war crimes tribunal in The Hague delivers a verdict in the trial of Croatian generals Ante Gotovina, Mladen Markac and Ivan Cermak on Friday.
Josip Jurcevic of the association "Action for a Better Croatia" said that April 15 would be a D Day for Croatia, adding that it was not just the generals who were on trial but the entire country for "a joint criminal enterprise" as alleged in the indictment.
Jurcevic said that the Hague tribunal was not administering justice based on law but out of political interests.
Zeljko Sacic said that it was in the interests of the the Croatian political elites that the protest rally was not held, adding that the political elites had made a lot of effort to portray the protest organisers as a minor group. He called on citizens to come to the protest in good faith "to express an explosion of their dissatisfaction in accordance with the constitution and law."
"We will go to St Mark's Square (the seat of the government and parliament) not by force, but with the support of Croatian people and citizens. There will be a political change in Croatia after April 16," Sacic said, stressing that there would be no rioting during the demonstration on Saturday.
When asked by reporters if they were organising the rally because they were expecting convictions for the generals, protest organisers said they were hoping for acquittals, with Jurcevic adding that "unfortunately, all elements suggest that there won't be acquittals, but miracles are possible."
