New Delhi, Dec. 2 -- Thousands of people on Sunday joined protest marches in Croatia against a surging far right following a spate of incidents that have fueled both ethnic and political tensions in the European Union country.

Gatherings dubbed "United against fascism" were organized in four major cities, including the capital, Zagreb. The crowd chanted "we are all antifascists!" as they pledged to counter what they described as a bid by right-wing groups to spread fear and silence opponents.

Protesters demanded also that the authorities curb hard right groups and their frequent use of pro-fascist symbols relating to Croatia's World War II pro-Nazi puppet state, which ran concentration camps where tens of thousands of ethnic Serbs, Jews...