US embassy cable - 03ZAGREB367

UNCLAS ZAGREB 000367 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PHUM, PGOV, HR, IZ 
SUBJECT: QANTIWAR PROTESTS STAGED IN ZAGREB AND OTHER 
CROATIAN CITIES 
 
1.  SUMMARY: A FEW THOUSAND NGO ACTIVISTS AND THEIR 
SUPPORTERS GATHERED ON FEBRUARY 15 IN ZAGREB AND OTHER 
CROATIAN CITIES TO PROTEST AGAINST A WAR IN IRAQ.  THE 
POLICE ESTIMATED THAT THE CENTRAL RALLY IN DOWNTOWN ZAGREB 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
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GATHERED UP TO 2,000 PROTESTERS.  INTELLECTUALS AND ARTISTS 
WHO ADDRESSED THE RALLY CALLED FOR UNIVERSAL DISARMAMENT 
AND DEMANDED THAT THE GOC WITHDRAW ANY SUPPORT FOR THE USG 
POLICY ON IRAQ.  EXCEPT FOR A U.S. FLAG BURNING IN FRONT OF 
THE U.S. EMBASSY, NO INCIDENTS WERE REPORTED.  THE CROATIAN 
AUTHORITIES PROVIDED EXCELLENT POLICE PROTECTION FOR THE 
CHANCERY.  END SUMMARY 
 
ENOUGH OF WARS! 
--------------- 
 
2.  AS THEY HAD ANNOUNCED, SOME THIRTY CROATIAN NGO'S 
STAGED ON FEBRUARY 15 ANTI-WAR DEMONSTRATIONS IN DOWNTOWN 
ZAGREB UNDER THE SLOGAN "ENOUGH OF WARS!"  SMALL PROTEST 
RALLIES -- RANGING FROM A FEW DOZEN TO A FEW HUNDRED 
PARTICIPANTS -- WERE ALSO HELD IN OTHER CROATIAN CITIES AND 
TOWNS INCLUDING SPLIT, OSIJEK, PULA, ZADAR, DUBROVNIK, 
VUKOVAR AND KNIN.  WHILE THE FOCUS WAS ON U.S. IRAQ POLICY, 
PETITIONS WERE SIGNED IN ZAGREB AND PULA DEMANDING THAT 
CROATIA NOT JOIN NATO. 
 
3.  ALTHOUGH ALL LOCAL MEDIA REPORTED THAT AN ESTIMATED 
10,000 PROTESTERS GATHERED IN ZAGREB, THE POLICE TOLD US 
THAT THE NUMBER WAS BETWEEN 1,500 AND 2,000 PEOPLE.  THE 
RALLY STARTED AT THE MAIN SQUARE IN DOWNTOWN ZAGREB WHERE 
HALF A DOZEN INTELLECTUALS AND ARTISTS ADDRESSED THE CROWD. 
THE MOST PROMINENT SPEAKER WAS FORMER SCIENCE AND ARTS 
ACADEMY PRESIDENT IVAN SUPEK WHO CALLED FOR MOTHERHOOD AND 
APPLE PIE VIRTUES SUCH AS UNIVERSAL DISARMAMENT AND A WORLD 
COMMUNITY BASED ON SOLIDARITY AND PEACE.  OTHERS CALLED ON 
THE CROATIAN GOVERNMENT TO DO A U-TURN AND DISASSOCIATE 
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ITSELF FROM THE VILNIUS GROUP DECLARATION. 
 
4.  DEMONSTRATORS CARRIED BANNERS WITH FAMILIAR SLOGANS: 
"IRAQ IS NOT ONLY SADDAM, U.S. IS NOT ONLY BUSH"..."FOOD, 
NOT ARMS"..."TERROR IS NOT AN ANSWER TO TERROR"..."NO BLOOD 
FOR OIL"..."POLITICIANS TO THE TRENCHES"..."NOT IN OUR 
NAME."  THE RALLIES IN ZAGREB AND OTHER CITIES WERE 
ATTENDED BY A NUMBER OF POLITICAL FIGURES INCLUDING FORMER 
MINISTER OF DEFENSE JOZO RADOS (AND CURRENT MEMBER OF THE 
COALITION), ITALIAN MINORITY REPRESENTATIVE FURIO RADIN, 
SDP'S MP PAVLE KALINIC, AND GOVERNOR OF ISTRIA IVAN 
JAKOVCIC (IDS). 
 
5.   THE ONLY INCIDENT DURING THE RALLY WE SAW IN FRONT OF 
THE EMBASSY -- WHICH WAS GUARDED BY SOME 150 POLICE 
OFFICERS -- WAS THE BURNING OF A U.S. FLAG "ADORNED" WITH 
SWASTIKAS BY A GROUP OF ABOUT TWENTY INDIVIDUALS WHO 
IDENTIFIED THEMSELVES AS "ANARCHISTS OF THE ANTI-FASCIST 
ACTION," A GROUP WHOSE NAME SOUNDS EQUALLY ABSURD IN THE 
ORIGINAL CROATIAN.  AFTER LESS THAN AN HOUR OF 
DEMONSTRATIONS IN FRONT OF THE EMBASSY, PROTESTERS RETURNED 
TO THE MAIN SQUARE TO SIGN PETITIONS AND DANCE TO MUSIC. 
 
6.   BELGRADE MINIMIZE CONSIDERED. 
 
ROSSIN 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
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