President Milanović at Anniversary Ceremony of 1991 Protest in front of Banovina Building: The people of Split sought justice here, which was hard-fought
The President of the Republic Zoran Milanović attended today in Split a ceremony marking the 32nd anniversary of a public protest in front of the Banovina building, where the people of Split stood up to enemy troops, demanding that the Yugoslav People’s Army leave Croatia.
President Milanović recalled that this event, from Zagreb’s perspective, was inspiring and very emotional. “We saw it as an all-Croatian event. Maybe we suppressed it over the years because terrible things ensued. Those days and events in front of the Banovina building speak to the fact that sacrifice was not sought here and I can feel this from Mr. Balić’s speech. People came to protest and demand justice,” said President Milanović.
He emphasized that the people of Split gathered in front of the Banovina building to seek justice, which was ultimately hard-fought at a high cost. “A human life was lost here and that should always be remembered. But sacrifice was not sought here. Yes, on our side there were armed people here, it was already May ’91 and people saw what was going on, that there would be no ‘free lunch’. In those days and months, Ljubiša Beara also spent his time working here. Four years later, he was among those most responsible for the massacre in Srebrenica. There is no coincidence; the roles were divided a long time ago,” the Croatian President told those present.
“Once again, happy Municipal Day and the Feast of St. Domnius, and continue to come together regularly. Lest we forget, and of course, it will not be forgotten,” added the President, concluding his remarks with these words: “I was supposed to be, in good faith, in London today for the coronation of someone who is not our king. Out of politeness. However, fate wanted me – technical matters, malfunctions – to be here today in the Croatian city of Split, a few kilometres from the cradle of the Croatian state, where our story began centuries ago. And in the fifth month of 1991, one very important episode took place here in a dramatic set of circumstances.”
The protest in front of the Banovina building, where the Command of the Military-Naval Region of the Yugoslav People’s Army was headquartered, took place a few days after Croatian police officers were killed in Borovo Selo on 2 May 1991 and after the Yugoslav People’s Army’s blockade of Kijevo. The town was then occupied, Croats were expelled and their houses were burned.
The ceremony marking the anniversary of the public protest in front of the Banovina building began with the hoisting of the Croatian flag, after which the historic day was commemorated by David Jakov Babić, on behalf of the organizer of the ceremony the Croatian Trade Union Association, reserve officer of the Croatian Army Ivica Balić, who 32 years ago removed the Yugoslav flag and raised the Croatian flag in its place, and the Mayor of the City of Split Ivica Puljak and Deputy Split-Dalmatia County Prefect Stipe Čogelja.
PHOTO: Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia / Marko Beljan