Protests in Serbia Archive
Odraz B92 Daily News Service

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    ODRAZ B92, Belgrade                             Daily News Service
    Odraz B92 vesti (by 3 PM), December 26, 1996

    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 1996 Radio B92. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
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    ALL QUIET IN BELGRADE
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    TODAY'S STUDENT WALK WITHOUT INCIDENTS

    The spokesman of the Student Protest Dejan Vasiljevic stated today
    that the organizers of the protest were warned by the police that
    the traffic must not be blocked, i.e. the police will not allow
    it. Before the beginning of today's walk, the organizers read
    aloud the information they have about a phone conversation which
    allegedly took place yesterday between US President Bill Clinton
    and Serbian strongman Slobodan Milosevic. According to that
    information, Clinton called Milosevic by phone last night, and
    urged him not to use force against the peaceful protesters. Today,
    eleven police buses and a great number of jeeps and police vans
    were spotted in downtown Belgrade.


    THE STATEMENT OF THE INTERIOR MINISTER

    Yugoslav Federal Minister of the Interior Vukasin Jokanovic
    announced that the police forces will not intervene if the street
    protests are peaceful. Asked what will happen today, the Minister
    said that he did not know, for the job is in the hands of the
    Chief Commander of the Belgrade Police.


    DJINDJIC: POLICE CANNOT SOLVE THIS PROBLEM

    The coalition Zajedno will organize another street protest today,
    regardless of the police warning that any blocking of the normal
    traffic flow will not be allowed. Head of the Democratic Party
    Zoran Djindjic said that ``it's not a police problem and the
    police simply cannot solve it.''  He announced today's rally, as
    usual, for 3 p.m.


    CHINA AGAINST THE MEDDLING IN SERBIAN INTERNAL AFFAIRS

    China supports the Russian position that foreign countries should
    not get involved in Serbian internal problems. ``We are carefully
    watching what is going on in Belgrade. Municipal elections belong
    to Serbian internal affairs, and I hope they will find the
    solution among themselves,'' said the spokesman of the Chinese
    Ministry of Foreign Affairs.


    SPO ON STAREVIC AND BAN OF WALKS

    The Serbian Renewal Movement (SPO) gave an official statement on
    the death of the protester, Predrag Starevic, saying: ``The brutal
    killing of Predrag Starevic, done by Milosevic's squad, and the
    hiding of that awful crime, definitely show that the Serbian
    regime has chosen terrorism of the worst kind. The post-electoral
    crisis is entering a dangerous stage, and the consequences can be
    disastrous. The police ban on peaceful protest walks violates one
    of the basic political and human rights. The ban does not oblige
    anyone, because it is imposed by those whose main features are
    lawlessness and the uncivilized behavior.''


    WORLD RECORD BROKEN

    A new world record in street protesting was set in Nis yesterday,
    as 15,000 people attended the city's 38th consecutive daily
    protest walk.


    ``POLITIKA'' DENIES ENTRY TO RENOWNED JOURNALIST

    One of the most renowned journalists of the Belgrade state-run
    daily newspaper ``Politika,'' Biserka Matic, was denied entry into
    the company's building. She gave a statement to Radio B92 and said
    that she has been laid off. This is the second instance of a
    suspension imposed on journalists who have objected to the way in
    which ``Politika'' has been covering the current events in Serbia.

    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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