Police close down Studio B

BELGRADE, Wednesday -- The Serbian government today marched in on Belgrade radio and television broadcaster Studio B, at the same time shutting out staff of Radio B2-92, Radio Index, and the daily newspaper Blic, who were housed in the same building in central Belgrade, known as the Beogradjanka. At 2 a.m. a large number of police completely blockaded the building. Shortly afterwards a recorded message was broadcast over the three Studio B frequencies, informing the public that the Serbian Government had concluded that the city council's television station had been taken over because it had been calling for the government to be overthrown, and that the orders to do so were signed by Vice Presidents Milovan Bojic and Vojislav Seselj.

When the news about the take-over was announced, some hundreds of Belgrade citizens blocked the road by 'Beogradjanka', the building that houses Studio B, Radio B2-92, Radio Index, and Blic. A statement from the emergency meeting of opposition leaders was read to the crowd calling them to gather at 7 p.m. in Belgrade's central square, and from tomorrow in all cities held by the opposition. The protesters were shouting slogans such as "Uprising!", "Slobodan to the Hague!", "Get outta here, red mob!", and "Down with fascists!"

Across Serbia, police have been arresting members of Otpor throughout the day and the previous night

Belgrade City Hall and its public company Studio B filed to sue the Serbian government. The prosecutors claim that the police entered without showing warrant.

Source: B92

---

Back to Archive | Back to Kosov@ Crisis