The Skinhead International: Slovenia
Slovenian Skinheads have stated that they first appeared in
public in 1984, when the country was still part of Yugoslavia.
A small group of them began to hang around the punk scene,
frequenting music clubs in the capital city, Ljubljana. As
their number grew, the Skinheads took to congregating on
Friday nights in pubs in Ljubljana. Most Skins were from
southern Slovenia, but some traveled from other parts of the
country to attend the gatherings. The handgouts would change
when their trouble-making caused them to be banned from
particular pubs. They also developed a reputation for starting
fights at concerts around the city.
One incident in 1989 brought the Slovenian Skinheads much
attention. Fighting broke out at a concert billed as "New
Rock," attended by some 2,500 young people, most of them punk
rockers, hippies, and heavy metal fans, but also some 25
Skinheads. A heavy metal fan was killed, and the police
arrested approximately 15 Skinheads. Slovenian Skins claim
that the publicity about this incident resulted in a
substantial increase in membership.
Today, the Skinhead scene remains cerntered primarily in the
capital. Skins belong to a Slovenian National Socialist
movement known as Mladi Domobran (Young Militia Men or Home
Guard), which borrows its name from World War II-era Slovenian
Nazis. They distribute a propaganda organ called _Rudi_, which
promotes their ultranationalist and extremist views.
The xenophibic Slovenian National Party (SNS), led by Zmago
Jelincic, reportedly has sought to attract Skinheads and other
right-wing young people to its ranks. The SNS, using the
slogan "Slovenia for the Slovenes," won 9.9 percent of the
vote in elections for the national State Assembly in December
1992, entitling it to 12 of the Assembly's 90 seats. Recent
opinion polls, however, indicate the party's support has
slipped considerably. (Anti-Defamation League, 64)
Anti-Defamation League. The Skinhead International: A Worldwide
Survey of Neo-Nazi Skinheads. New York: Anti-Defamation League,
1995. Anti-Defamation League, 823 United Nations Plaza, New York, NY
10017.
Disclaimer: not all skinheads are neo-nazis or white
supremacists. There are many skinheads who are non- or anti-racist, and
who come from a variety of different religious and cultural backgrounds.
Nizkor recognizes their achievements in anti-racism: they are part of
the traditional, non-racist skinhead subculture and are not the
perpetrators of the hate crimes discussed here.
Unless otherwise specified, the word "skinhead" within these pages
refers only to neo-Nazi and white supremacist skinheads, the
perpetrators of hate crimes and participants in racist organizations.
We cannot edit the body of the text above, because it was not written by
Nizkor, and to change the wording would be fraudulent. Please keep in
mind that not all skinheads are racist.
The
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