The Commissioner for the Protection of Equality, Brankica Janković, strongly condemned Nazi provocations during anti-fascist protest in Niš last night, which took place approximately ten days after a young man was stabbed because he was wearing a T-shirt with an inscription “Stop fascism!”.
The spreading of national and religious hatred is prohibited by law, and tolerating such attitudes, especially among young people, can lead to more serious consequences in the future, said the Commissioner. Chanting “Long live greater Serbia”, “Long live Nedić” and “Long live Ljotić” speaks about a complete lack of understanding of democratic events and historical facts. There are unquestionable historical facts about anti-fascism as the undeniable value of our society, and the attempt to revise facts that have been adopted as part of the value of the anti-fascist struggle creates misconceptions among younger generations which, from the aspect of those who were victims in the course of anti-fascist struggle, is unacceptable Janković.
Anti fascism cannot be questioned, it is a tradition we are proud of and we must not forget the hefty price we paid for it. Degradation and misunderstanding of anti-fascism lead to disrespect of those who fell victims in their struggle against fascism, and the reputation and credibility of Serbia is also thus undermined.
The Commissioner also warned that extremism and intolerance can never amount to any good.
This is the reason it is necessary to constantly stress the harmfulness of such actions both for the sake of past and future generations.
