10,000 Protesters in Belgrade Demand That Serb President Milosevic Resign
Ten thousand student protesters, disillusioned with the civil war and hungry for more democracy, rallied here Wednesday to demand that hard-line Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic resign.
The demonstration marked the first anniversary of an anti-government protest during which two people were killed, and it was seen as the boldest challenge to Milosevic since then.
In an emotional speech, opposition leader Vuk Draskovic called for a general strike. “It’s now or never,” he said. “Either they fall or the Bolsheviks will destroy us.”
Milosevic and his Socialists--the renamed Communists--won elections in December, 1990. They still enjoy considerable popular support, despite Wednesday’s protests.
The protesters called for new elections, a democratic constitution, an amnesty for those dodging the draft in the war against Croatia and complete disclosure of casualty figures.
Defense officials in the Adriatic port of Zadar reported that three Croatian soldiers were killed and four people wounded Tuesday. They also said that a van with European Community monitors was shot at Tuesday near the village of Posedarjke. No injuries in the van were reported.
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