ON AUGUST 28, one day before the 61st anniversary of the Slovak National Uprising, 100 young men marched through Zvolen holding torches. Half wore dark blue uniforms decorated with clearly visible double crosses. The other half were members of the so-called "skinhead" movement.
The march reminded Zvolen residents of terrible days in Slovakia's past. "Similar uniforms and slogans were used when my parents were taken to Serec, Saxenhousen, Terezín (concentration camps)," Fedor Gál told the daily SME.
Gál took part in Zvolen's remembrance ceremony held to commemorate Holocaust victims when the fascists marched through town. "When these [same kind of] people said they would march through the Jewish parts of Prague, hundreds of citizens showed up and the fascists ran away like cowards," Gál said. He saw no signs of similar support in Zvolen.
Please see also the editorial History marches on at SNP ceremonies under the Opinion section.
