Political leaders condemn hate speech after masked men interrupt Serbian cultural event

About 50 young men disrupted a Serbian cultural event in Split on Monday evening, demanding that participants and guests leave.

Witnesses said the group, masked and dressed in black, approached the Blatina District Council building and told people to exit. Police said there was no physical violence, although offensive language can be heard in recordings. Organizers and participants complied. The event featured a folklore dance performance by a group from Novi Sad and was part of Serbian Culture Week.

Witnesses said some of the men stated such events should not take place during “Vukovar month” and declared “this was Croatia.” Some are believed to be members of Hajduk Split’s fan group Torcida. Police said three people have been arrested so far.  Croatia marks Vukovar Remembrance Day on 18 November, commemorating those killed during the 1991 siege.

Split Mayor Tomislav Šuta condemned the incident, saying the city must remain inclusive.

Serbian minority politician Milorad Pupovac said he urged Prime Minister Andrej Plenković to take action, calling the incident “hate speech against people absolutely undeserving of such treatment.” He said tolerance for hate speech was growing and needed to be stopped.

Plenković condemned the incident on X and in a statement on Tuesday, calling it “an attack on the Serbian minority in Croatia” and “a blatant violation of minority rights.” He said authorities must respond because the incident was “clearly a criminal act.”

President Zoran Milanović also condemned the incident, calling it “pathetic.”

Ombudswoman Tena Šimonović-Einwalter described the incident as “chilling” and said failures to act earlier had contributed to this outcome.

Culture Minister Nina Obuljen Koržinek expressed solidarity with the organizers. The festival continued on Tuesday under police protection, with the opening of an art exhibition by a Serbian painter at the Alliance Française in Split.