Foreign Agencies on February 4th, 1997

CNN
Milosevic accepts opposition victories
But party leader says protests will continue
February 4, 1997
Web posted at: 12:00 p.m. EST (1700 GMT)

BELGRADE, Yugoslavia (CNN)
...
Earlier Tuesday, about 20,000 students marched through Belgrade to police headquarters to demand the release of 20 colleagues arrested in previous demonstrations.

The students were joined in their march by about 1,000 Belgrade lawyers, who have been on strike since Friday.

Police did not interfere with the march. By contrast, tens of thousands of demonstrators dispersed quietly on Monday -- at the request of their political leaders -- after police indicated they would not let a protest rally turn into a march. But about 200 youths ranged through the streets, some of them hurling stones at police.

Reuters contributed to this report.
(c) 1997 Cable News Network, Inc.

Yugo Opposition Wins Recognized
By JULIJANA MOJSILOVIC
Associated Press Writer
Tuesday, February 4, 1997 10:28 am EST

BELGRADE, Yugoslavia (AP)
...
Earlier, about 20,000 students marched through Belgrade to police headquarters to demand the release of 20 colleagues arrested the day before. The students were joined in their march by about 1,000 Belgrade lawyers, who have been on strike since Friday.

The lawyers promised free legal help to students and other citizens arrested and beaten by police.
...
The students, who have tried to maintain a non-partisan stance, said they would call for Milosevic's resignation if Interior Minister Zoran Sokolovic did not step down and police were not punished for their brutality on Sunday.

After a rally Monday by about 60,000 protesters, up to 200 young people, many of them teen-agers, threw stones and skirmished with police. Police chased the youths, beating and dragging away some of them.

Medical students treated about 15 wounded people who sought refuge in Belgrade University's philosophy building. Three policemen were slightly injured, first aid workers said.
...

Milosevic Admits Opposition Wins
By NESHA STARCEVIC
Associated Press Writer
Tuesday, February 4, 1997 6:10 pm EST

BELGRADE, Yugoslavia (AP)
...
Earlier Tuesday, student protesters said they would call for Milosevic's resignation if Interior Minister Zoran Sokolovic did not step down and police were not punished for their brutality.

More than 1,000 Belgrade lawyers, on strike since Friday, joined the student march Tuesday and promised free legal help to those beaten and arrested by police. A group of Belgrade judges denounced police brutality.

Tuesday's celebratory mood was marred later by small groups of rioters who witnesses said smashed the back window of a car with French diplomatic license plates and beat the driver when he came out of the car.

A man -- apparently a plainclothes policemen -- fired into the air, then aimed his gun at the crowd. Witnesses said at least one young man was injured in the leg, although it was not clear if he was hit by a bullet.

Serbian Crowds Defy Milosevic in Peaceful March
By Jonathan C. Randal
Washington Post Foreign Service
Tuesday, February 4 1997; Page A11
The Washington Post

Students and political protesters by the tens of thousands peacefully demonstrated their defiance of Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic in the streets of Belgrade today despite exceptionally tough police tactics just after midnight that injured dozens of people.

The massive peaceful turnout appears to have pumped new life into the tired ranks of students and other protesters who have demanded daily for 11 weeks that Milosevic reinstate the victories of the Together opposition coalition in Belgrade and 13 other cities in the Nov. 17 municipal elections. Symptomatic of the renewed defiance was the march of as many as 20,000 Belgrade University students through the city and their presence later at a Together rally.

With nary a traffic officer in sight, the students pointedly walked across the Brankov Bridge that links old and new Belgrade. In the early hours of Monday, hundreds of security forces fired water cannon and used truncheons against protesters staging a sit-down on the bridge. Among those beaten was veteran human rights campaigner Vesna Pesic, who heads Civic Action and is one of Together's three leaders. Only brief late afternoon scuffles broke out today when riot police reappeared in large numbers to prevent protesters attending the daily opposition rally from marching home.
...
After this afternoon's brief skirmishes, four students and three other demonstrators required medical attention.
...

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