The traditional celebration in Tito’s place of birth was organised by the Federation of “Josip Broz Tito” Associations of Croatia, Krapina-Zagorje County and Kumrovec municipality.
When this many people gather, and they come from almost all parts of our former common state, it is justified to ask what it is that brings them together, said Jovan Vejnović, president of the Federation of “Josip Broz Tito” Associations of Croatia.
“The reason is the memory, not only of the past, but of the time when we lived better and were more secure,” he said.
The leader of the Croatian Association of Antifascist Fighters and Antifascists (SABA), Franjo Habulin, said that the Day of Youth celebrates youth but that it would be wrong to fail to say that the celebration is connected with Tito.
Addressing the event, former Croatian president Stjepan Mesić said that he had a message for those who were looking for culprits for the crimes committed in the aftermath of World War II.
“The culprits are those who tried to change global relations with Nazi-Fascism, who established a criminal regime and committed crimes during the four years of war. At the end of the war they fled in panic but they did not forget to take the gold,” Mesić said.
The day-long celebration in Kumrovec brought together several thousand people and the organisers believe it is this year’s biggest gathering dedicated to Josip Broz Tito in the area of the former Yugoslavia.
