Protests in Serbia Archive
Report on the MARCH ON THE FIRST OF MARCH

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Goal of the meeting:

Number of people present: 30 This was quite disappointing. Reasons for this low number were various congress weekend of the participating organisations, and in general we can say there is a low action motivation among Dutch students.

Day itself:

• The soundtrack of Underground was played, many people didn't hear the music before and were interesting in receiving a copy of the CD.
• speeches of the organising committee (USIC), short history of Dutch-Serbian students activities.
• speech of Andre Lommen (from IKV/biggest peace organization in the Netherlands and from HCA/Helsinki Citizens Assembly). He emphasized that this was the first time Dutch peace-, sustainable development- and student organizations collectively worked together in accomplishing something. He also made clear that it is now shown to be possible as well as in the Netherlands as in Yugoslavia, to act political, without being a politician. Therefore IKV want to support the ones in the Netherlands, but even more the ones in Yugoslavia.
• speech of Ivo Stumpe, member of the Dutch National Students Union(LSVb). Few weeks ago a delegation of the Belgrade students' protest talked with the LSVb. Ivo realized that in essence students in the Netherlands and in YU, were fighting for the same cause. In Belgrade for their basic rights and in the Netherlands for the recent decrease of students' participation in university policy. Of course the situation in Belgrade can hardly be compared to the situation in the Netherlands.
• taped telephone interview with Uros Bobic, from the initiative board of the student Protest, he visited the Netherlands in the beginning of February. He was very pleased with all the support from abroad and stated that this was very important to them. He explained about the possible fulfillments of the two last demands of the students. And told us about the last jokes, like looking at the most craziest places for the chancellor of Belgrade University.
• the action itself: police was very nice and cooperative. There was a dozen of them and they enjoyed themselves by whisteling together with us. We carried banners with texts 'Student Protest' in cyrillic, 'March on the first of March', 'Just a pedestrian', 'NL solidair YU' and so on. We walked trough the embassy neighbourhood and people seemed to be surprised. The ambassador refused beforehand to receive our petition via a telephone 'conversation', when we called him a few days after we send him a letter, which you can find below, he said: 'No, not, not, bye, bye', and disconnected. Our march stoped in front of the Yugoslav embassy, the police supported us in ringing the door bell, some Yugoslav talks we couldn't make sense of via the intercom, we (all 30) used our whistles. And dropped the petition in the mailbox.

To:	President of Serbia
	Mr. Slobodan Milosevic

	Ambassador of Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in the Netherlands
Mr. ?



Today is the hundredth day that Serbian students march the streets of
Belgrade and other cities. They demand a more open and democratic society,
and in particular democratic changes at the universities. We,
representatives of Dutch students' and youth org anisations, want to
express our support and solidarity with the students' movement in Serbia.
We especially appreciate their perseverance, and their adherence to
peaceful and creative means to express their demands. 

We call upon the Serbian authorities to do everything in its power to
create a more open and democratic atmosphere, at the universities as well
as in society as a whole. As a first step, the Serbian authorities should
create more space for independent med ia, and allow democratic changes in
the University structures. 

The students are Serbia's future; they deserve support in their struggle
for an open, democratic society, in which they also have a future! 

--------------
Embassy of the FR Jugoslavia
Groot Hertoginnelaan 30
2517 EG   Den Haag

                                     Utrecht, 13th of february1997

Dear sir, madam, 

   with this letter I hope to inform you about some future-activity we
would like to undertake. For this activity we are kindly asking for your
cooperation in overbringing a document to the president and parliament of
the republic of Jugoslavia. 

   At the first of March it will be the 100th day of
student-manifestations in Beograd. In these manifestations they are
pleading for the recognition of the municipality-elections' result and for
a more democratic university.  The recognition of the result of the
elections, held last november, is now officially being discussed in the
parliament of the republic of Jugoslavia, but there does not seem to be a
change in the university-policy. The appointed councellor and his
vice-councellor are still in function, there are very strict rules and
guidelines under which an independent student-union or -party is almost
impossible to found. There still is no democracy on the Beograd and other
five Jugoslavian universities.  For us, being Dutch students, the rights
for which the Beograd students are demonstrating are a logic principle of
democracy. If citizens should have rights in their society, then why
should not students have rights in their society, the university ? 

   In support of the Jugoslavian students, with their peaceful approach to
demonstrating, we are organising a Dutch students' manifestation. This
manifestation will take place at the first of March, the hundredth day of
the Beograd manifestations. At this meeting, at the Carnegieplein in Den
Haag, we ask all people present to sign petitions to support the Beograd
students, of which we would like to present one copy to the students and
one copy to the Jugoslavian government. We are kindly asking you to
receive this petition in order to pass it on to the authorities in
Beograd; the Parliament and the President.  We would like to present these
papers to you in the afternoon of the first of March. At 16.00 h. we will
leave the Carnegie-plein, and make a walk through the surroundings. At
16.15 h. we hope to pass your embassy, and we hope you would like to
receive the petitions.

   We would be very thankful if you could cooperate in the named-above
activities, I hope we can be in contact soon. 

yours sincerely,



Friso Wiersum                Ruut Brandsma
Korte Lauwerstraat 17            Eekwal 41
3512 VE Utrecht              6871 LT Renkum

- student of physics at the University of Utrecht -
- close observer of conflict in former Yugoslavia -

snail-mail: Eekwal 41, 6871 LT Renkum, the Netherlands
snail-mail from 1/3/97: IBB 65 III, 3582 VT Utrecht, the Netherlands
e-mail: brandsma@fys.ruu.nl (checked at least once a day)
phone: 0317-315128 / 030-2899965 (answer machine checked almost daily)
fax on request:0317-315128
fax not on request:0317-410526 (checked biweekly)