In Glina, the 35th anniversary of the start of armed resistance against Serbian aggression was marked on 26 June, commemorating the day when rebel Serbs attacked the Glina Police Station. It was the first armed attack on Croatia following the declaration of independence.
The programme began with the laying of wreaths at the grave of the fallen policeman Tomislav Rom in Gornje Viduševce, while the central commemorative event was held at the "Tear" memorial. Numerous veterans, families of the fallen, representatives of state and local authorities, police, the Croatian Army and citizens gathered. The commemoration concluded with a mass at the church of St John of Nepomuk.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior Davor Božinović recalled that the attack occurred just hours after the Croatian Parliament had declared an independent and sovereign Croatia. "The Croatian police was the first armed formation of the Republic of Croatia, but also the first target of the Serbian aggressor, who knew that by attacking the police he was actually trying to overthrow the newly created Croatian state," Božinović said.
In the attack on the Glina police station, in the night from 25 to 26 June 1991, policeman Tomislav Rom was killed, while several other policemen were wounded and taken prisoner. Defenders from all over the country arrived to defend Glina.
Among them was today's head of the Požega-Slavonia Police Administration, Željko Grgić. "We were less well-armed and outnumbered by the enemy. We held our positions as long as we could, but when it was no longer possible, we had to withdraw," Grgić recalled.
Sisak-Moslavina County Prefect Ivan Celjak highlighted the town's place in recent history. "The Homeland War began in Glina, and it also ended in Glina. Therefore, Glina has an exceptionally important place in the history of our Homeland," Celjak declared.
