Protests in Serbia Archive
Odraz B92 Daily News Service

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    ODRAZ B92, Belgrade                             Daily News Service
    Odraz B92 vesti (by 4 PM), January 12, 1997

    e-mail: beograd@siicom.com      URL: http://www.siicom.com/odrazb/
            odrazb92@b92.opennet.org     http://www.siicom.com/b92/
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    All texts are Copyright 1997 Radio B92. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
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    NEWS BY 4 PM
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    LAST NIGHT'S MATCH: STUDENTS -- POLICE 5:0

    At their meeting with Serbian vice-presidents yesterday, UofB
    students did not get any promise that the police cordons will be
    withdrawn from the streets; as a result, the students began their
    51st straight protest yesterday at 6 p.m. by forming their own
    lines to match the police cordons in downtown Belgrade. At the
    beginning of the protest, the student crowd was addressed by
    visiting members of the Italian Parliamentary Left, who emphasized
    that they have refused to meet with members of the Socialist Youth
    (the youth branch of the ruling SPS). Students tried to go for a
    protest walk, but after just a hundred yards, they were stopped by
    a police cordon. Despite the heavy rain, members of the Serbian
    Academy of Arts and Sciences once again expressed their support
    for the protest by standing between the student crowd and the
    police cordon.

    Around 8 p.m., the students suddenly began to dash down the side
    streets in order to find a passage out of the police enclosed area
    to which they had been confined. The police then took off after
    them, trying to form lines in all the side streets, most of the
    time unsuccessfully.

    The very fact that the students had succeeded in organizing a
    protest walk from the very center of the city attracted many
    Belgrade residents, so a great number of them joined the student
    crowd. The procession managed to walk down many streets where the
    protest marches had not been permitted during the previous two
    weeks. In the meantime, the main police cordon which had been
    preventing the rest of the students from going for a walk
    withdrew, so the whole crowd went for another walk down the city
    streets. While standing in front of the main police line, students
    organized a contest for the most handsome policeman and handed a
    whistle to the chosen one. The ``Miss Policeman'' contest caused
    broad smiles and evident good humor among the policemen in the
    cordon. During the second walk, a lot of citizens came out in
    their cars to join the students. About 4 a.m., many Belgraders
    brought hot tea and coffee to the Republic Square, where the
    students repaired after their walk.

    The Steering Board of the Student Protest announced that there
    will be no protest today because the students need to rest for
    tomorrow's actions, when the Teaching Council of the UofB will
    hold its next full session.


    COVIC SUPPORTS STUDENTS

    The Mayor of Belgrade, Nebojsa Covic, gave an interview for
    Belgrade Radio Index in which he stated that he supports students
    and their demands. Asked by an Index journalist, ``Where have you
    been so far?''  Covic answered: ``When, after November 18, the
    election results were cast into doubt, I estimated that with each
    passing day, we were getting deeper and deeper into a crisis. In a
    situation like that, any serious individual would choose to solve
    the crisis by respecting the will of the people, i.e. trying to
    influence those who are in the position to do so. Besides, I kept
    demanding that, for the sake of the integrity and reputation of
    state institutions, the culprits for this crisis must be made
    legally responsible. If I had immediately announced what I was
    fighting for, my conscience would have been satisfied. But I would
    not have been able to remain in the position from which I could
    prevent possible dramatic events and demand the responsibility of
    those who created such a deep crisis.''


    GREEK FOREIGN MINISTER IN BELGRADE

    Greek foreign minister Theodoros Pangalos today arrived in
    Belgrade, invited by the Yugoslav foreign minister Milan
    Milutinovic. On his arrival in Belgrade, Pangalos said that he
    will encourage the search for a way to normal democratic life in
    Serbia, reports Reuters. Immediately after his arrival, Pangalos
    met with Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic, and then also with
    the leaders of the coalition Zajedno.


    US SENDS NEW MESSAGES TO MILOSEVIC

    Head of the delegation of the American Congressmen, Bruce Vento
    met last night with Montenegrin President Momir Bulatovic.
    Following their meeting, Bruce Vento revealed that 70 members of
    the US Congress have signed a letter to Serbian President
    Milosevic, which has been passed to assistant secretary of state
    John Kornblum, reports Montena-fax.

    ``I told President Bulatovic that Montenegro is not an island and
    that it must be an example for Serbia in order not to sink into
    the Mediterranean. That is why we hope that Mr. Bulatovic, who
    frequently meets Milosevic, will truthfully convey our attitude to
    the Serbian President,'' said Vento.


    BULATOVIC MET AMERICAN CONGRESSMEN

    Montenegrin President, Momir Bulatovic, had a meeting with a
    delegation of the American Congress last night, after which he
    gave a statement for the press: ``We pointed out to our guests our
    readiness and determination to establish an orientation for a
    democratic, effective, and peaceful solution to the political
    crisis in FR Yugoslavia, [applied] within the norms of the
    Yugoslav constitution,'' reports Montena-fax.

    Prepared by: Aleksandra Scepanovic
    Edited by: Vaska Andjelkovic (Tumir)

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    ODRAZ B92, Belgrade                             Daily News Service
    e-mail: beograd@siicom.com      URL: http://www.siicom.com/odrazb/
            odrazb92@b92.opennet.org     http://www.siicom.com/b92/
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