Police again ban anti-fascist march in Mostar

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - The Association of Anti-fascists and Veterans of the National Liberation War (UABNOR) of Mostar is marking February 14 - the Day of the Liberation of Mostar from fascism in World War II with a series of events this year.

The central event is planned for Saturday, February 11, which includes a visit to the Partisan Memorial Cemetery, laying wreaths, and paying tribute to the fallen anti-fascists of Mostar in the fight for freedom.

A very ugly message

UABNOR Mostar announced that they had planned to march from Musala Square to the Partisan Memorial Cemetery after gathering.

"However, the police are not allowing this again this year, citing security reasons. We cannot accept their explanation and we strongly protest the ban on the anti-fascist march through the city.

We do not accept being transported by buses under armed escort, as it too closely resembles not-so-distant times when many of us were escorted in exactly the same way by some police forces on these very streets," they stated in their announcement.

They emphasize that they do not accept this decision, especially since they have been "convinced for years that Mostar is a safe city, and then for security reasons, they cannot march to the cemetery."

"We do not accept this decision also because of the fact that the authorities and all politicians assure us that Mostar is a unified, undivided city. If that is the case, then gentlemen from the Mostar Police Department, how do you explain the fact that in one part of the city you allow us unimpeded movement, you don't even show up, while in the other part we need armed escort and our movement is restricted.

It is a very ugly message that is being sent from Mostar to the world on this occasion, because this line of permitted and forbidden movement, lo and behold, coincides with the former wartime line in Mostar and its division into east and west," say UABNOR Mostar.

They also state that they cannot accept that such messages are sent from Mostar in 2023, nor that their freedom of movement, which they emphasize is a fundamental human right, is being restricted.

Act preventively

If the decision was made based on intelligence or serious assessments, UABNOR believes that the police should act preventively against those who might endanger the march, instead of banning it.

"It seems to us that the decision was made out of inertia or came from politics. We reach this conclusion because for 30 years of attacks and acts of pure terrorism on the National Monument of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which is the Partisan Memorial Cemetery, no one has ever been sanctioned or brought to justice.

The investigation is continuously ongoing. If you now have information about a possible attack on our column, why have you never had it before after the attacks that have already occurred?" asked UABNOR.

They also add that they do not accept the explanation that there are 300 police officers missing, which is why they cannot march through the city. They also remind that the city is blocked during some other, as they state, "less important events or football derbies."

UABNOR Mostar emphasized that they are legalists and will respect the decision, but stressed that it must be known that "this decision by the Mostar police is already being interpreted as one part of the city being hostile towards the anti-fascist heritage."

Finally, they announced that anti-fascists from numerous cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina and all neighboring countries are coming to Mostar on Saturday, and they asked what message and what impression they would return with from Mostar.