When did the Skinhead subculture appear in Croatia?

Answer 1

The skinheads appeared on the streets of Croatia in the early 1990s and were soon held responsible for a string of attacks.

In 1996, a group of them beat up a black official from the American embassy. Two girls dressed in Punk clothing were abused the same year. Two more black men, one a Croat national and the other an attache at the Sudanese embassy, were targeted in 1998 and 1999 respectively. Sporadic attacks continued. A few months prior to the two most recent ones, a group of Iraqis and Bangladeshis and a number of Roma were beaten in the centre of Zagreb.

Not all these skinheads come from deprived backgrounds. Some are children of respected professionals, such as doctors and generals.

The perpetrators of many of the attacks have not been found. And police say they have no information on whether the skinhead movement enjoys widespread support amongst young people in Croatia.

Rijeka sociologist Nenad Fanuko says what attracts youngsters to the movement is a cult of violence. The attacks are "the outbursts of arrogant youths who are one day fixated on Roma, the next day on Serbs and maybe the day after on Vesna Pusic," he said, referring to the head of the left-wing Croatian People's Party.

Fanuko agreed with the victims of the Mocvara youth club assault that their assailants were politically-motivated and organised by the far-right. "The attack was political," he said. "It reflects the primitive and aggressive tone of right-wing opinion in this country."

Ivica Djikic is a journalist with weekly Feral Tribune from Split.