PHOTO: 1,000 Football fans Pay Homage to Vukovar

Around 1,000 football fans from all Croatian clubs gathered in Vukovar at noon to pay homage to the city, symbol of Croatian suffering.

VUKOVAR, CROATIA – Croatian football fans united without any markings of their football clubs as part of the humanitarian initiative “Croatian Fans for Vukovar” and walked from Vukovar’s central square to the memorial cemetery of Homeland Defence War victims, paying homage to the city of Vukovar the symbol of suffering and creation of Croatia.

According to Vukovar-Srijem County police, some 1,000 fans of all football clubs in Croatia gathered in Vukovar.

- Last year we gathered in Vukovar after an incident in a Student’s dormitory to show that Vukovar is not alone, that the whole of Croatia, its common, small people, still live for Vukovar. This year with this parade we are again sending a message to Vukovar that it is not alone – a member of the coordination of Croatian football fan associations, Darko Zlodi, who was a Homeland War soldier and a prisoner in Serbian concentration camps, said.

It can be better for everyone 

He stressed that the parade is proof of unity of the Croatian people and a call that it should be better both for Vukovar and the whole of Croatia.

The fans’ peaceful walk in the streets of Vukovar was disrupted by a group of fans who shouted out inappropriate slogans against Serbs, but for the most part, their way to the cemetery passed with dignity, with the signing of Croatian fan and patriotic songs.

At the memorial to the victims of Vukovar, the fans laid a wreath and the Vukovar parish priest, Mato Martinkovic, led the joint prayer.

The humanitarian initiative “Croatian fans for Vukovar”¸began on April 10 and is lasting until June 13 when the proceeds collected from selling of t-shirts with the slogan “Croatian Fans for Vukovar”, as well as money donated to a specially set-up account, will be given to the Vukovar association of St. Vinko Paulinski.

The money will go to the poorest 

A member of the fans’ coordination, Ivan Matijasic, said that the collected money will be donated via the association to the poorest citizens of Vukovar to purchase basic living essentials.

Vukovar-Srijem County police spokesman Krunoslav Zgela confirmed that, apart from occasional inappropriate slogans being shouted, not one incident was noticed during the march.

The coordination of fans’ associations announced that they will organise similar humanitarian actions for other war-torn towns, such as Knin and Skabrnja.

See the photographs from Vukovar HERE.