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Monday March 22, 2010

What we're talking about

Police forced to eject tennis fans

Posted by: 3AW Radio | 18 January, 2010 - 1:37 PM


ABOVE: Neil Mitchell speaks to Linda Paric about her blaming themedia for sensationalising the apparently rowdy behaviour of Croatian fans at the Australian Open.

RELATED AUDIO:


MONDAY: Eleven people have been ejected from the Australian Open today following behaviour which was disruptive to play.

The spectators were warned once by security for unruly behaviour, and then ejected after behaving in a disruptive manner a second time.

Security removed the spectators from Melbourne Park with the assistance of police. Two penalty notices were issued by police in regard to possession of flares and disruptive behaviour.

Victoria Police and security are reminding tennis spectators that they will be acting swiftly where they find any anti-social behaviour at this family event.

It's believed most of the rowdy supporters were Croatian or Croatian-barrackers.

Do you have photos? Send them to bwise@3aw.com.au.

Blog comments Your Say

  • Jack, get a grip. No-one is saying that all Croatians are pro-nazi. But what you and Linda are doing with your "why are we always being picked on? Wah, wah, wah" cries, is ignoring or deliberately diverting away from the topic of this small group of ignorant and bigotted young troublemakers from your community. They are not tennis fans, they clearly have no interest in the game, they certainly have no respect for the Croatian players. Why aren't you addressing their abhorant behaviour instead of playing the victim? Are you proud of their behaviour? Is this how you want your community represented?

    Maria Wednesday 20 January, 2010 - 11:14 PM

  • And the anti-Croatians come out in force complete with serbian/communist propaganda about ww2.

    A couple of 15yr olds, roman saluting is supposed to represent the whole Croatian community? Give me a break!

    The truth is that Croatian patriots were slaughtered on mass in 1945 by yugoslav communists. All historical references in western world have been provided by those same communists because they eliminated most opposition in order to cloak their massive crimes.

    Like Linda said, if a hundred 'aussies' get kicked out of the mcg, do we label all aussies drunken thugs?

    Just about every 'anglo' country, including australia, america and england has pro-nazi type groups but only Croats seem to be identified by the actions of a few idiots.

    The media in this country eagerly awaits any Croat to stuff up so they can play the nazi card.

    Croats, along with several other european nations were aligned with Germany in ww2. germany was just a ticket to freedom from serbian/communist oppression for Croats. If that makes us all nazis then thats your ignorance.

    Jack Wednesday 20 January, 2010 - 2:32 PM

  • Please don't even try to compare the three finger salute to the Nazi one. Serbs use the three finger salute and it means the holy trinity NOT anything to do with Nazis. What Croatian racist "supporters" did was a Nazis salute and it is representative of their Nazi past in WW2. Not many Australians will know this but this salute was used by Ustashi who were loyal to Hitler in WW2 and exterminated 700,000 Serbs, Jews and Roma in a death camp called Jasenovac. Instead of being ashamed they go out there flauting this, obviously still proud of their grandfather's deeds.
    Even Germans would find this embarrassing and offensive now. Talk about true colours coming out. This is just a small exhibit. In Croatia, stadiums are filled when their Nazi hero Thomson performs and hundreds of thousands of chanting fans all show the salute at those concerts. How is this a minority only doing this when so many turn out to these concerts which Switzerland has banned BTW.

    Peggy Wednesday 20 January, 2010 - 11:49 AM

  • If this community leader is in denial, what hope is there? Shame on her!
    Is she serious when she doubts the ethinicity of these people?
    Croatia is one of the most beautiful places in the world, too bad all the goons are out here!

    Arthur Merrington Tuesday 19 January, 2010 - 4:56 PM

  • OK, this is an absolute joke. Linda Paric, please, do show some decency and at least admit that what they were doing was wrong.

    Nazi salute? I have had enough of this, that three-finger salute is NOT a Nazi salute, it is a Serbian salute. The three-finger salute (Serbian: or tri prsta) is a salute made by extending the thumb, index, and middle fingers of the right hand almost exclusively used by ethnic Serbs. Serbian prince Milo Obrenovi greeted Serb insurgents during the Takovo Uprising of 1815 against the Turkish. One popular theory on the origin of the salute is based on the way that Orthodox Serbs perform the Sign of the Cross, with three extended fingers representing the Trinity (The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit). Milo Obrenovi used this as a means to remind Serbs of their Orthodox religious beliefs and heritage. A saying often used by Serbs is: Nema krsta bez tri prsta (There is no cross without three fingers).

    For Croats the three-finger salute is usually perceived as provocation, especially when directed at them personally. In response, they use the V sign which is said to represent the letter U, the first letter of the word Usta - a Nazi Croatian puppet group responsible for the genocide of 750,000 Serbs during WWII.

    Goran Simic Tuesday 19 January, 2010 - 4:30 PM

  • These people are mindless goons trapped in a time capsule built by their uneducated and brainwashed parents. I'm of Croatian background and know that 99.9% of our community are shamed by actions like this. Linda Paric - you must be kidding. You know as well as I do they were Nazi salutes. Stop lying and defending these morons who continue to shame our community.

    Ant Tuesday 19 January, 2010 - 2:51 PM

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