Report on the occupation of Koper with war propaganda
Anyone who dedicated the last sunny weekend to visit Koper and to relax unsuspectingly while gazing at the sea and licking ice cream, was in for an unpleasant surprise. The view was blocked by uniformed army and military police officers and stands with mortars, automatic rifles and other weapons with armoured vehicles and military vessels present as well. For a particularly modern and a little more sinister flavour there were tables with computer games with war themes and soldiers who encouraged children to immerse themselves in the work of a professional killer.
The happening dedicated to war and the military was served to Koper under the banner of the Slovenian Armed Forces Day. The events were not limited to the spectacular musical events around the Bonifika Hall. It was clear from the moment of arriving to Koper's city centre that movement and thought were strictly controlled. Large and small groups of soldiers in uniform roamed the streets freely, 'guarded' by police patrols and military police. The occupation was all-pervasive and included roadblocks and a massive presence of repressive authorities.
The activities were most concentrated on Koper's promenade. Mothers and fathers with trolleys, with older brothers and sisters walking alongside, were targeted from all sides by war propaganda. From every exhibition tent, soldiers called out invitations to 'play games', 'see the latest weapons', 'test military vehicles', served promises of 'fit bodies' and distributed all sorts of promotional material. The Taverna was transformed into a gaming zone: tables full of youngsters aged up to 15 years old trying their shooting skills under supervision of soldiers. And this at a time when no one really questions anymore whether video games might be encouraging violence in the real world? Of course, modern warfare often looks a lot like a video game. But is this really the right idea for how to spend an early summer sunny weekend with your children?
An orgy of cheap militarism in Koper with its relentlessly aggressive recruitment of children and youth, has confirmed that the army (and the war it serves) respects no ethical compass or ethical boundary. Indeed, the Slovenian Army's propagandist manipulation of the profession of murderers has particularly targeted the most vulnerable among us, and no by-passer has been able to avoid it.
Despite the apparent indifference, the military occupation did not pass without visible expressions of opposition to the war. There was public disagreement expressed, anti-militarist stickers appeared at the venue, and the Initiative Against Militarism displayed a banner with a simple message in the line of sight of those heading to the evening concert at the Bonifika Hall: they should consider that they can be useful to society and the world in many professions that are not part of the war complex. This was a small contribution to making the glorification of war, joined by the President of the Republic, Nataša Pirc Musar, more widely unacceptable in the society. Particularly at a time of genocide in Palestine, carried out by military forces with which Slovenia has warm and even allied relations, everyone is called upon to refuse to support the war. Parents, grandparents, uncles, friends, colleagues, acquaintances should encourage young people who are thinking about their future to resist war propaganda and to pass on the message that caregivers, cleaners, social workers, cooks, etc. contribute much more than soldiers to making the world a better and fairer place for all. Becoming a member of a group of professional killers is in no way to contribute to the fight against the injustices of the world.
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Read the appeal to the performers at the concert in honour of Slovenian Army.