Croatia: Protests against Cyrillic signs continue in Vukovar
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 3 September 2013 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Croatia: Protests against Cyrillic signs continue in Vukovar, 3 September 2013, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/525e3f3126.html [accessed 21 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
September 03, 2013
A sign with Serb Cyrillic script lies on the ground after being ripped off a wall by Croatian protesters in Vukovar on September 2.
Dozens of Croat war veterans have protested in the Croatian town of Vukovar against signs that were written in both the Latin and the Cyrillic alphabets.
The rally on September 3 comes a day after protesters in Vukovar clashed with police as they destroyed several signs in official buildings.
The Croatian and Serbian languages are similar, but Croats use the Latin alphabet while Serbs use Cyrillic.
The protesters want Vukovar to be exempted from a law stipulating the use of Cyrillic in areas where Serbs make up at least one-third of the population.
Vukovar was devastated by Serbian rebels during Croatia's war for independence in the 1990s.
The city has been rebuilt but ethnic tensions remain.
Ethnic Serbs make up some 4 percent of Croatia's population of 4.2 million.
Based on reporting by AFP, AP, Reuters, and RFE/RL's Balkan Service
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
