Foreign Agencies on January 8th, 1997

Christian Science Monitor
Wednesday January 8, 1997 Edition
Serbia's Police Charmed As Protests Stay Peaceful
Scott Peterson, Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor

BELGRADE
...
Gen. Momcilo Perisic, chief of the Army general staff, gave his "firm assurance," student protesters said after meeting him face to face Jan. 6, that there would be "no repeat of 1991," when Milosevic ordered tanks onto the streets to squash rebellion.
...
Student leaders also met Jan. 6 with Serbia's Interior Minister Zoran Sokolovic, who controls the police. That meeting was "pointless" and without assurances of police neutrality, says student leader Dusan Vasiljevic. He called for a new tactic in which student protesters - who stage daily protests separate from the main opposition rallies - would face down the police lines.

"Serbia will explode after Thursday [Jan. 9]," he warned.
...

Riot Police Block Yugo March
By DUSAN STOJANOVIC
Associated Press Writer
Wednesday, January 8, 1997 1:07 pm EST

BELGRADE, Yugoslavia (AP)
...
Earlier in the day, hundreds of riot police, wearing bullet-proof vests and shields, prevented about 3,000 students from marching on Belgrade.

Authorities banned the marches two weeks ago, saying they disrupted traffic. On Sunday, the protesters had created a huge gridlock by driving downtown slowly to mock the official reason for the ban and faking car problems. They then went ahead with their march on foot.
...
Students and leaders of the political opposition have been marching daily since Milosevic-controlled courts annulled local election victories won by the opposition on Nov. 17.
...
Students leaders said that, as of Thursday, they will no longer retreat when confronted by police, raising the prospect that the protests could again turn violent. ...

Serbia Confirms Opposition Win
By DUSAN STOJANOVIC
Associated Press Writer
Wednesday, January 8, 1997 3:18 pm EST

BELGRADE, Yugoslavia (AP)
...
Earlier in the day, hundreds of riot police, wearing bullet-proof vests and shields, prevented about 3,000 students from marching on Belgrade.

Authorities banned the marches two weeks ago, saying they disrupted traffic. On Sunday, the protesters had created a huge gridlock by driving downtown slowly to mock the official reason for the ban and faking car problems. They then went ahead with their march on foot.
...
Students and leaders of the political opposition have been marching daily since Milosevic-controlled courts annulled local election victories won by the opposition.
...
Students leaders said that, as of Thursday, they will no longer retreat when confronted by police, raising the prospect that the protests could again turn violent.
...

Reuter
Protesters Jam Belgrade; Milosevic Wavers

(16:07 01/08/97) BELGRADE (Reuter)
...
Students played cat-and-mouse with police deployed to prevent them from marching and at one point managed to pass through the police cordon and come up on them from behind.

Thursday, the students plan to line up in front of the police and refuse to leave until they are let through. Groups of about 100 will rotate every hour.
...

Los Angeles Times
Wednesday, January 8, 1997
Serbian Opposition Plans New Pressures
By TRACY WILKINSON, Times Staff Writer

BELGRADE, Yugoslavia
...
In a similar vein, students who have taken a lead role in the demonstrations announced that starting Thursday they will not back down from face-offs with police. It was unclear how far the students are willing to go, but some suggested a sit-in along police cordons. ...

Back to index of Foreign agencies

Back to the Home Page