A CROATIAN leader says media coverage of Nazi-saluting Croat tennis thugs is just vilification of her community.
A group of fans - some wearing Croatian colours - intimidated other fans, let of flares and spat on, then slapped a Herald Sun photographer on the opening day of the Australian Open in Melbourne yesterday.
Australia Croatia Community Services committee member Linda Paric, speaking on radio 3AW this morning, blamed the media for portraying Croatians at the tennis as troublemakers.
She described the Herald Sun’s coverage as “predictable, annual, hysterical reporting and negative portrayal of the Croatian community is disappointing and a real comment on our media and its role”.
And she also claimed “no other community in the history of this country has been (as) vilified repeatedly”.
Ms Paric told Neil Mitchell on 3AW: “I say shame on the media for not taking its role as the fourth estate responsibly, and I also say shame on them because the first thing that is plastered everywhere is Croatia and Croats".
Asked whether she denied they were Croatian supporters, she said “I have no idea". “I have been looking at pictures in the Herald Sun. And, while some of them are wearing chequered tops … a lot of them are wearing hoodies.”
She claimed they were wearing hoodies “because they’re teenagers” and would have to be charged and identified to “clarify their ethnicity”.
Ms Paric also disputed whether the front page photograph apparently showing a Nazi salute was what it seemed.
“The Nazi salute, I really challenge that … there’s also a three-fingered salute in that. When did that become the Nazi salute? I’d really like to see that picture uncropped.”