Foreign Agencies on December 26th, 1996

BELGRADE, Yugoslavia (AP)
...
``Police will no longer tolerate the blocking of traffic and therefore it warns organizers of demonstrations ... police will intervene in accordance with the law to protect the rights of citizens,'' the police statement read.
...
Students planned to go ahead with their daily protest march through central Belgrade today. The march is usually followed by an evening protest of the opposition coalition Zajedno, or Together.
...

(c) Copyright 1996 The Associated Press

BELGRADE, Yugoslavia (AP) -- Thousands of students Thursday defied a new police ban on opposition protests amid threats of a crackdown on the most serious challenge to the nine-year rule of Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic.
...
In cold wind and light snow, about 10,000 students brushed aside a warning from police not to start their march Thursday. A ranking police officer, who declined to give his name, said he had orders to break up the protest.

The students were not harassed. But thousands of riot police were deployed in the center of Belgrade ahead of a larger rally planned later in the day.
...
Some students Thursday carried long strings of garlic they said were their defense against ``Communist vampires.'' Balkan superstition holds that garlic wards off evil spirits.

``We will march ... until they fulfill our demands,'' said student leader Cedomir Jovanovic.

Demonstrators have clogged streets in the capital since courts loyal to Milosevic annulled Nov. 17 municipal elections won by the opposition. Smaller demonstrations have been taking place in other towns across Serbia.
...
Student radio Index reported Thursday that Predrag Starcevic is the first casualty of the uprising against Milosevic. Rade Vasilic, a doctor at Belgrade's Emergency Hospital, told Index that Starcevic died Tuesday night.
...
The protesting students held a minute of silence for him Thursday.

(c) Copyright 1996 The Associated Press

BELGRADE, Yugoslavia (Reuter)
...
Thousands of police in riot gear swamped central Belgrade to enforce an Interior Ministry ban on marches by Zajedno and students against election fraud by the ruling Socialist Party, the SPS.

They ignored a march through snowy streets by 5,000 students but were firm with around 30,000 Zajedno activists blocking a main street under the windows of the opposition headquarters in the city center.
...

Copyright (c) 1996 Reuters Limited.

BELGRADE, Yugoslavia (Dec. 26)
...
About 10,000 students marched separately earlier, braving subfreezing temperatures and snow and ignoring police warnings to disperse.

The students carried long strings of garlic that they said was their defense against ''Communist vampires.''
...

Back to index of Foreign agencies

Back to the Home Page