February 23, 2016
Media Coverage:
Dr Dvir Abramovich, Chair of the B’nai B’rith Anti-Defamation Commission, today issued the following statement in response to the planned performance of Croatian rock star, Marko Perkovic, also known as Thompson, in Australia later this year:
“Thompson should not be welcomed here and should not be given a platform to promote their hateful message. It’s appalling to think that a singer which has openly extolled the Ustashe, a fascist, pro-Nazi military regime in Croatia responsible for murdering tens of thousands of Jews, anti-fascist Croatians, and Roma, which has given the Nazi salutes, and which has shouted a slogan used by Croatian Nazis in World War II in concerts and at an official reception, will be performing in Australia. Thompson fans are known to sport Ustasha T-shirts and often greet Perkovic with the Nazi salute. To glorify the horrors of the Holocaust is repugnant and not what we need here. If the Australian public truly understood their extremist rhetoric and what Thompson stands for, they will not want them playing songs which celebrate the deaths in the concentration camps, ethnic cleansing and genocide. The band’s abhorrent ode to intolerance has led to the group being banned from performing in the Netherlands and other European countries, and we would urge the government to take the lead on this issue and reject the band’s request to enter Australia, which will reaffirm its commitment to counter anti-Semitism, prejudice and violence. I call on other leaders and organisations to join us in speaking out and opposing the group’s planned concerts.”
For further information please contact Dr Dvir Abramovich on (03) 9272 5677
The Anti-Defamation Commission, founded in 1979, is Australia’s leading organization fighting anti-Semitism and all forms of hatred through educational programs that combat bigotry, prejudice and racism.
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