Anniversary of Independent State of Croatia Marked at Zagreb's Main Square

On 10 April, a large group of supporters of the Independent State of Croatia gathered at the Ban Jelacic Square, the main city square in Zagreb, reports zagreb.info on April 11, 2017.

In 10 April 1941, Slavko Kvaternik, one of Ustasha leaders, proclaimed the establishment of the Independent State of Croatia in a statement broadcast at the time by Radio Zagreb. Apparently, there are still people in the country who support and advocate for the failed criminal state. They decided to mark the sad anniversary on the Josip Jelacic Square in Zagreb. They gathered in front of the monument [of Jelacic], carrying flags with the letter U (for Ustasha), as well as Croatian flags with the first white field in the coat of arms (such version was used during the Independent State of Croatia). They also carried a large banner with the inscription: "I would give anything to see her, proud and beautiful, like in my dreams."

The Independent State of Croatia was a World War II puppet state of Germany and Italy. It was established in parts of occupied Yugoslavia after the invasion by the Axis powers. Its territory consisted of most of modern-day Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as some parts of modern-day Serbia and Slovenia.

During its entire existence, the state was governed by the Ustaše movement and its leader Ante Pavelic. The regime targeted Serbs, Jews and Roma, as well as anti-fascist or dissident Croats and Muslims. Between 1941 and 1945, numerous concentration camps existed inside the territory controlled by the Independent State of Croatia, the largest of which was Jasenovac.

Independent State of Croatia collapsed in May 1945.

[Vman's note: I'm sorry about the poor quality of the text's English, but this is pretty much the only news article that I found in English about this incident]