The Day That Shook Belgrade

The demonstrations started after TV news commentaries on February 16 and 18, which said that the Serbian Renewal Movement (SPO) was prepared to cooperate with the extreme Right Ustashi in pro-fascist Croatia, or any other extreme Right to the detriment of the Serbian people's vital interests, and that it was instigating social disturbances. (The SPO announced on February 21, 1991 that it would take over TV Belgrade on March 9, or as SPO leader Vuk Draskovic dubbed it, TV Bastille. The most important demand made during the demonstrations was that one of TV Belgrade's channels must be accessible to all parties, i.e., that it should be non-partisan. "Let them have Radio-TV Serbia General Director Dusan Mitevic and TV Belgrade News Editor in Chief Dusan Vitas, and those working for Channel One can do as they please, but Channel Two must be non-partisan and honest, and then we'll see what Serbia will watch," said Draskovic, explaining the SPO's demand.)

Vuk Draskovic: SPO President and demonstration leader, was arrested on March 9. He was let out of jail thanks to public pressure, but charges were brought against him on January 10, 1992 for the events of March 9, 1991. The case never reached the court but was used as a means of political pressure, and to prevent the marking of the first anniversary of the 1991 demonstrations. Fifteen months later, Draskovic was arrested on charges for the June 1, 1993 demonstrations and beaten up by the police. Public pressure at home and abroad led to a discontinuance of proceedings against him. The trial was scheduled for autumn 1993, but the public prosecutor decided to drop the case.

Slobodan Milosevic: Serbian President, addressed the nation on March 9, and condemned "forces of chaos and insanity". Speaking in the Assembly on March 11, 1991 he demanded "an immediate end to violence against work, thinking, the youth and state organs". He met with a delegation made up of ruling Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) sympathizers. Milosevic met with Belgrade students on March 18, 1991 in the Chancellor's rooms. Student Nebojsa Milikic (not politically active anymore), told Milosevic: "I know that Serbia has never been this lonely, so hated and with such a bad reputation in the world as it has today!"

Usce (The confluence of the Sava and Danube Rivers in Belgrade)

The army withdrew from Belgrade on March 10, late in the afternoon. Some political parties protested against the repression and the use of the army. Rallies of support to the regime in Belgrade were organized in cities throughout Serbia. The climax came with the rally at Usce at which academician, SPS ideologue and vice-president at the time, Mihailo Markovic, spoke against the students. Dusan Matkovic, Minister of Industry at the time, called regime supporters to a showdown with the students at Terazije square. Opposition deputies later demanded his resignation in the Assembly. Matkovic told SPS supporters and members that Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic and Krajina Serb leader Milan Babic had not been able to attend the meeting because of "the weather". Matkovic is now the director of the Smederevo steel works.

Preparations for a putsch

A drama was developing behind the scenes along the lines of the federal political leadership and the military command. The General Staff announced on March 19, 1991: "We will not allow inter-ethnic clashes and a civil war in Yugoslavia". According to a number of testimonies, the Supreme Command asked to be allowed to introduce a state of emergency. Veljko Kadijevic was Federal Defence Minister when tanks were brought out against the demonstrators, and took over the deserted streets. Kadijevic was retired in the first purge of the army, along with his associates.

Serbian Ministry of the Interior

Interior Minister Radmilo Bogdanovic said: "I don't feel guilty and I am not thinking of resigning". He did, however, resign on April 4, 1991 "in the belief that he had worked honorably" and made an effort "at resolving an unfortunate event". Bogdanovic is now a deputy in the Serbian and Federal Assemblies. He was elected vice-president of the Chamber of Republics for the second time, and is considered to be Serbia's Police eminence grise.

The Terazije Square Parliament

On March 10, the students got together in Studentski Grad (campus) and headed for Belgrade, followed by a police escort. They gathered at Terazije Square at around midnight, where the Terazije Parliament was set up and Belgrade had its Velvet Revolution which lasted a week. The students demonstrated in Belgrade, Kragujevac and Nis. Messages of support arrived from all over the country. After a "reconciliation" on March 12, deputies visited the students at Terazije Square where the demonstration had entered its third day. The deputies told the students that most of their demands had been fulfilled. Even though the Serbian Assembly did fulfill most of the students' demands, the students were dissatisfied and continued with the demonstration, demanding the resignation of Dusan Matkovic and Radmilo Bogdanovic.