Nazi Salute at Zagreb Concert: Croatian Singer Marko Perkovic Draws Half a Million Fans
Croatian singer Marko Perkovic, known by his stage name Thompson, sparked controversy as hundreds of thousands of fans performed a Nazi salute during his concert in Zagreb.
Croatian singer Marko Perkovic, popularly known as Thompson, drew massive crowds to his concert in Zagreb, Croatia’s capital, where hundreds of thousands of fans performed a Nazi salute. The controversial gesture was made during one of Perkovic’s most popular songs, which begins with the salute “Za dom spremni” (Ready for the Homeland), used by the Ustaše regime during World War II. The Ustaše were a fascist, ultranationalist movement that collaborated with Nazi Germany and oversaw concentration camps during the war.
Perkovic, whose stage name is a reference to the American-made Thompson submachine gun, has previously defended the song and the salute, claiming they focus on Croatia’s 1991-95 ethnic war for independence from Yugoslavia. He describes the song as a “witness to an era.”
Half a Million Attend Concert
Organizers claimed that 500,000 people attended the concert in Zagreb. Video footage broadcast by Croatian media showed many fans performing the Nazi salute early in the day.
Legal Controversy
Croatian state television HRT noted that the salute is punishable by law in Croatia, but courts have ruled that Perkovic can use it as part of his song. Perkovic has been banned from performing in some European cities due to his frequent use of Nazi-related references and gestures during concerts.
Croatian newspaper Vecernji List criticized the event, stating that the “grand organization” of the concert was overshadowed by the use of a salute associated with a regime that carried out mass executions. Regional television N1 emphasized that the salute’s roots “undoubtedly” trace back to the Ustaše era, adding that “Croatia in 2025 is nowhere near distancing itself from this dark past.”
Reaction from Serbia
Neighboring Serbia’s populist President Aleksandar Vucic condemned Perkovic’s concerts as “support for Nazi values.” Former Serbian liberal leader Boris Tadic called the concert a “great shame for Croatia and the European Union,” stating that it “glorifies the killing of members of a nation, in this case, Serbs.”
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