Protests in Serbia Archive
Odraz B92 Daily News Service

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    ODRAZ B92, Belgrade                             Daily News Service
    Odraz B92 vesti (by 12 Midnight), December 7, 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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    NEWS BY 12 MIDNIGHT
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    DJINDJIC: NO REASON FOR DIVISIONS IN SERBIA

    At today's protest meeting of about 100,000 people in front of the
    Federal Assembly, Vuk Draskovic, leader of the Serbian Renewal
    Movement, dismissed any possibility of compromise with the
    authorities: ``Either they acknowledge the electoral results in
    all municipalities or we continue our protest until Milosevic
    resigns.'' Leader of the Democratic Party, Zoran Djindjic stressed
    that in order to establish a Serbian state in which it is the will
    of the people that counts, we need also those who voted for
    Socialist Party of Serbia. ``Our boos are not directed against
    them but against their chiefs. When we remove from power those who
    have divided us, we must never let any authority divide us again
    -- the utmost cause must become the future of this country,'' he
    said.

    Vesna Pesic, leader of the Civil Alliance said: ``Serbia must
    develop a democratic society and become a modern country, whether
    right or left is irrelevant.''


    ZIVKOVIC: LEST NIS BECOME A WAR CAPITAL

    At today's demonstrations attended by over 20,000 people in Nis,
    Zoran Zivkovic, one of the leaders of the Democratic Party,
    stressed Zajedno's determination not to bargain over the electoral
    results: ``We entreat Slobodan Milosevic and the Supreme Court of
    Serbia not to turn Nis into a war capital (as it was during World
    War I).''  Students of the University of Nis joined the protest
    after having marched through the city wearing yellow bands and
    taking them off before the City Hall as a symbol of ``getting out
    of the ghetto.''  The booing of the marching demonstrators in
    front of the RTS office in Nis is reported to have lasted nearly
    45 minutes.


    CELEBRATION IN KRAGUJEVAC

    Radio B92 reports that a spokesman of Zajedno coalition in the
    city of Kragujevac has informed the radio station about a clear
    victory that this coalition achieved in the municipal elections.
    Thousands of citizens celebrated the victory in a rally held in
    the city center. But, as B92 was told, the protests will continue
    as a sign of support for protests in Belgrade, Nis and some other
    cities where the results of the Nov 17 elections were pronounced
    invalid by the authorities.


    PROTESTS IN VALJEVO BEGIN

    Peaceful protests, held in support of the demonstrations going on
    in other cities across Serbia, began in the city of Valjevo two
    days ago. Yesterday, there were only a few hundred demonstrators,
    but today the number of protesters in Valjevo was estimated as
    more than two thousand. Participants of today's protest voiced
    similar demands and shouted the same anti-government slogans that
    are being heard all over Serbia today.


    APPEAL OF GERMAN WRITERS, JOURNALISTS, HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVISTS AND
    POLITICIANS

    Twenty five German writers, journalists and politicians appealed
    to the President of Serbia, Slobodan Milosevic, President of
    Serbian Parliament, Dragan Tomic, several relevant courts of the
    Serbian judiciary, to the country's Ministry of Information, its
    National Television, the TANJUG news agency, and to ``Politika''
    media house. Their appeal, sent as a letter, says: ``We, the
    undersigned, demand from the Serbian President and other Serbian
    authorities to respect the democratic will of Serbian people and
    carry out their legitimate demands. We expect that the President
    will no longer put pressure on the courts in Serbia, that the
    authorities will not oppress the independent media and that they
    will refrain from using violence against the protesters. We appeal
    to the judges in Serbia to resist any political influence. We
    appeal to the staff of state-controlled media not to broadcast or
    print lies and propaganda. We support peaceful protests of
    citizens, students and workers throughout Serbia, because
    protesters want their human and civil rights, democracy and
    freedom.''

    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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