Croatia Anti-Abortionists Accused of Politicising 'Walk'

Organisers of anti-abortion "Walks for Life" in Zagreb and the city of Split on Saturday have been accused of politicising the events by staging them on the day when Croatia is supposed to descend into a pre-election "silence", ahead of local elections on Sunday.

Mihael Darko Burazin, from the small right-wing party, Hrast [Oak] - Movement for Successful Croatia, who is standing in the election as would-be Mayor of Split, on Monday invited his party members to join the walk in Split.

"On the behalf of the Split branch of Hrast, we invite our members and sympathisers, as well as our coalition partners and all citizens of the city of Split, to join the action of the 'Walk for Life' … a peaceful walk of citizens in support of every child, born and unborn," he said.

Kristina Brakula, from Choose Life, the NGO that has organised the walk, told BIRN that the annual "Walk for Life" - first organised in 2016 - is always organised "on the third Saturday in May" and herself took part last year on May 21.

"Organising non-political events doesn't violate the pre-election silence, just like many other events taking place this Saturday. All citizens are invited to the 'Walk for Life', just like football matches, concerts or other public gatherings," she concluded.

Critics of the event disagree, however. Goran Cular, a Political Sciences professor in Zagreb, told BIRN that those "who scheduled the event for the Saturday before the elections … don't have any excuse [about the date] regarding the local elections because their date is fixed in advance. Croatia's local elections are always on the third Sunday in May. It has overlapped on purpose," he said.

He noted that the silence has an important symbolic purpose, even if not "regulated in the...

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