Truncheon with Two Ends

Since 2:30 a.m., May 17, 2000, Serbia ceased to be in a state of unrest, but is merely in a state of confused mumbling - gatherings and proclamations.  In the early hours of that day the police entered the premises of Studio B by the order of the Serbian Government.  Two hundred meters further, in the seat of the Municipal Parliament of Old Town (Downtown) Belgrade, in the building of the old Royal House, there was considerable political activity (sessions of the Municipal Government of Belgrade, meetings with a group of ambassadors, calling of an early session of the Municipal Parliament, with everyone asking: "Where is Vuk Draskovic!?").

That afternoon football clubs Red Star and Sartid played a game on Red Star's home field in Belgrade, which is nicknamed Marakana.  The football fans sang patriotic songs about the president and the salvation of Serbia...  At the end of the football match, the fans who broke into the pitch included those who carried the flags of the Resistance student movement.  The state television reporter howled into his microphone in dismay, shouting at the top of his voice for the police...

Both the regime and the media could view on their TV screens the rapid politicization of the football fans, as well as the politicization of the population at large which is as sensitive as a Scotish barometer to all political changes.  A group of fans of football club Young Worker from Pozarevac (the place where everything began on May 9) which otherwise calls itself "Sinners," issued an appeal on May 18, 2000, for a historical compromise and peace to be made between the rowdy fans of football club Partizan, i.e. "undertakers", and the fans of Red Star, i.e. "heroes".  The position of was interest to the opposition also:  "At this moment the only objective is unified action and the offering of resistance to Slobodan Milosevic's regime which has lost all touch with the people and to its increasing repression of the pauperized population."  The "Siners" pointed out that after the government is changed, all fans will once again support their own club.

The fans headed from the Marakana toward the center of Belgrade, where the transmission of Studio B news began at 7 p.m. from the balcony of the old Royal House.

The main street in downtown Belgrade, from Terazije to Slavija, became a "free zone" controlled only by some twenty thousand demonstrators and fans who were eager to taunt the police.

The policemen who remained in the building headquarters of Studio B must have been very nervous.  There was considerable police force in evidence, but they only showed up at two places that day - one weaker unit on Slavija whose purpose was unclear, whether to prevent the overflow of demonstrators and the blocking of Slavija which is a crucial junction for city traffic of cars, trams and trolleys, or whether to prevent the fusion of the Red Star's "Heroes" with the remaining demonstrators.  The "Heroes" managed to cross over Nemanjina Street to join the demonstrators in the area from Terazije to Slavija, i.e. Srpskih Vladara Street (Serbian Rulers Street).  When asked what they saw there, they answered with laughter: "Everything!"  The police at one point appeared on the corner of Srspkih Vladara, in front of the Studio B building, where a stalled tram stood as an improvised barricade.  In Slavija the police fired tear gas at demonstrators and drove back the demonstrators by some fifty meters.  In front of the Studio B building the police fired something that reporters called "cannon fire" ("resonates extremely"), after which they withdrew.  Later they emptied their anger and frustration on anyone who they managed to get their hands on in Pioneers' Park around the parliamentary buildings and in the Revolution Boulevard.

Somehow that day ended, but the one that followed was even more tense, confusing and more difficult.

RESOLUTIONS AND PROVOCATIONS:  President of the Municipal Parliament of Belgrade, Vojislav Mihajlovic, stopped the session of the Municipal Parliament on the afternoon of May 18, immediately after it began.  The parliamentary session was set for 5 p.m., just as all parliamentary session in other cities. The tabled resolution was putting a halt to repression against citizens, political opponents and the media.  Instead of going ahead with the session, a call was issued to citizens for daily protests.  "As long as I am President of the Municipal Parliament of Belgrade, we will only use arguments in resolving issues in this Parliament and not weapons," stated Mihailovic a littler as he aw addressing participants in the protest from the terrace of the building of the Municipal Parliament of Belgrade.  The member of the Belgrade Municipal Government, Dragan Covic, stated for the Beta Agency that there were many people in the Municipal Parliament who did not present any identification and that it is not known who they are.  He said that what is at issue is provocation by the bodyguards of the Vice-President of the Serbian Government, Vojislav Seselj.  An incident was avoided in Kragujevac where the Mayor Veroljub Stevanovic stated that the socialists attempted to infiltrate the Municipal Parliament of Kragujevac with people who were supposed to interrupt the parliamentary session.  These people were removed from the Municipal Parliament of Kragujevac by the security personel.

At the end of the session of Belgrade's Municipal Parliament, around 20,000 citizens gathered in front of the old Royal House, with party flags, Resistance Movement flags, whistles...  That evening and the following, citizens gathered in Belgrade, Novi Sad, Kragujevac, Valjevo, Kraljevo, Jagodina, Sombor, Lazarevac, Uzice, Smederevo, Bajina Basta, Obrenovac, Mladenovac, etc.

The Municipal Parliament of Uzice held its first session "under the open sky", with that session being attended by 2000 citizens.  In Smederevo demonstrators heckled "red thugs", "thieves", "resistance" and "Studio B" as they marched along Kralja Petra Street.  "This is a socialist city, but it wont be that for much longer," stated Dragisa Jovanovic, member of the presidium of the Serbian Renewal Movement (SPO).

In Vlasotinac the police prevented a protest meeting from being held, but around 500 opposition supporters still managed to go on a protest march along the main street of the town.  Before the meeting began, the police stopped a vehicle before it entered Vlasotinac.  The vehicle carried SPO Vice-President Bojana Ristic from Leskovac and impounded the car for technical inspection, beside he insistance that the vehicle just passed technical inspection in Leskovac.

SHOWDOWN IN FRONT OF RESTAURANT LONDON:  Still, the worst happened in Belgrade on May 18, late in the evening, even though it appeared that everything would end without any incidents.

>From one of the open windows of the Serbian Parliament a camera was observing the crowd.  The atmosphere appeared relaxed, almost like before the meeting between the Titanic and the iceberg.  Heckling was more ironic than angry: "everyone on attack, let's go", "rebellion, rebellion", "save Serbia..." and "march, march".  Mayor Vojislav Mihajlovic refused the call and said that a protest march will be held only when a sufficient number of citizens gathers, that is to say when it is believed that a march could yield results.

The organizers of the meeting assessed well all risks and with a cool head brought the meeting to an end.  At that moment a group of youths who stood in front of the Serbian Parliament flared at the news that pandemonium was braking lose in front of Restaurant London.  A large group of people headed toward Slavija, some of them heading home and others for a walkabout.  No one stopped them.  In front of Restaurant London there were four large groups of policemen in full gear and with vehicles.  It was only possible to go on the sidewalk toward Slavija.  Soon a group spilled behind the police and a reporter with the Beta Agency observed around 300 policemen in Nemanjina Street, in front of the destroyed Supreme Headquarters of the Yugoslav Army.

On the other side of the street from Restaurant London, youths began arranging concrete litter cans as barricades, taking off their shirts and tying them across their mouths and noses.  Two containers in the area between the police and the citizens were knocked over and set on fire.  The crowd shouted "go to Kosovo" and "Srbija and Srbija".  One completely shaved youth approached the police, shouting: "Shoot you M...."

The organizers of the meeting who were gathered on the terrace of the Municipal Parliament were sipping coffee brought in by a waiter, completely oblivious to what was happening in front of Restaurant London.

A police Yugo suddenly rushes through the crowd behind the police.  How it did not run anyone over is a mystery.  People all around are shouting and screaming.  Several policemen are beginning to wield their truncheons, disbanding the people who are behind the backs of the police.  Several stones were hurled at the police who at that moment headed toward the demonstrators and fired at least three gas bombs on the crowd.  It was already night and the scene was terrifying - garbage containers afire, burning sticks being hurtled which some observers later described as Molotov cocktails.

Tear gas is being fired by the police which is readying for attack.  It was as if the police was just waiting for a spark to flair the demonstration in order to illustrate its advanced technology for breaking up demonstrations.  It acted in smaller, mobile groups, using tear gas and vehicles rushing into crowds.  Policemen with special police helmets would rush out of the vehicles.  The demonstrators fled from the police attack toward the Square of the Republic, seeking shelter in adjacent entrances and the unlit park around the Belgrade Municipal Parliament.  Tear gas was fired from in front of Restaurant London and according to Beta Agency reports, from the Serbian Parliament building.

SANCTUARY IN THE ROYAL HOUSE:  A group of citizens simply broke through the doors of the Royal House in flight from police brutality.  Around 50 journalists sought shelter in the basement of that building, including the President of Belgrade's Municipal Government, Spasoje Krunic.  A little later he would call Police General Branko Djuric (he's the one that materialized miraculously on the scene of the Lazarevac Highway when the assassination attempt against Draskovic took place) from the old Royal House, demanding that the police permit citizens to exit this shelter.  It was lucky that there were no more than 16 injured people in that group.  A doctor from the Anlave Clinic observed that they mostly suffered minor injuries from police truncheons and boots.

Leaders of the opposition and Belgrade's government then asked citizens to leave the Municipal Parliament, with the promise that a statement would be issued by the opposition the next day.

One group in Kneza Milosa Street which included a VREME reporter withdrew under the police attack into a passage of a building.  When things cleared a little, they opened the door of the passage when a group of policemen gathered in front.  Some of the policemen complained of tear gas injuries and injuries from stones.  One of them asked: "Do you have any water?"  A man from the passage answered: "No there isn't, and even if there was we would not give it to you!"  The policeman answered: "O.K.!" and went his way.  This man changed his mind and filled a bottle with water and approached to group where that policemen was standing: "Here, but remember that you got water!"

A little further, toward the Square of the Republic and in Knez Mihajlova Street a police search was taking place.  White police vans rushing by with sirens in one direction, turning in the middle of the street.  The same thing is done by cars that appear to be civilian vehicles.  At that moment Belgrade appeared like an occupied city.  One policemen rushed from the rest toward the crows, shouting in frustration "Where are you pansies?"  The demonstrators, "Heroes", "Undertakers" and "Sinners", certainly one of these three, began withdrew a little ahead and mooned the police.  It is evident that the police is sharing the fate of the regime.  Its attacks meet with angry taunting.

The next day, at the meeting in front of the Old Royal House, Zoran Djindjic compared the police behavior to the behavior of an occupying force which wants to break the will of the people.

PACIFICATION:  Vuk Draskovic who appeared in Belgrade after a several-day absence called on citizens to head home immediately following the meeting, to avoid all contact with the police and not taunt them.  In Belgrade, on May 19, the opposition corrected the mistakes from the previous day, including MP's at the meeting which was now transferred to the Pioneers' Park.  It appeared that everything became quiet.  A big meeting is being appointed for May 27 in Belgrade.  The arrival of opposition supporters from other cities is being announced, with the promise from Zoran Djindjic that at that point the opposition will put forth new, concrete demands.

Upon the return of Vuk Draskovic to Belgrade on May 19, it was announced that he, Zoran Djindjic and Vojislav Kostunica will travel to Moscow on May 29 in order to demand aid from Russia for democratic changes in Serbia.  Since that time, expectations have been postponed up to May 27 and the big meeting in Belgrade, and up to May 29 and the meeting in Moscow.

It is important what the opposition will do at home.  For instance, members of the opposition announce that under the present conditions the opposition cannot take part in the elections.  This is perhaps a sign that the regime is beginning to realize its strategic objective, to take the wind out of the election sails of the opposition and in this way to disappoint the opposition supporters.  The only chance the opposition has is to demonstrate its power, to go in agreement and to try to win even under impossible conditions.  With arrogant repression the regime has began the final phase at a moment when the opposition did not even expect this, and it needs nearly one week to gather itself.  In Belgrade it even appeared that the opposition had entered a serious crisis last week.  At the beginning, a lack of information resulted in everyone appointing their own meeting - NUNS at Nusic Street at 5 p.m., the opposition at 7 p.m. in front of the Old Royal House.  The general call extended to the population for "disobedience" was neither clear nor practically executable, nor was it seriously taken by the citizens.  The defense of Studio B was separated from the defense of the Blic daily, of the Glas printing house, of Radio B2-92 and Radio Index.  Opposition parties did not have possibilities of quickly contacting their members.  Opposition leaders disappeared for long periods of time and it appeared that the regime is winning out.  Finally the demonstrators were abandoned by their leaders when the most militant groups began battles with the police.

COMBING TRHOUGH SERBIA:  A justification for the opposition could be the fact that the regime's campaign was loud and focused on the so-called battle against terrorism.  The police is combing through Serbia and it appeared that martial law is at hand.  Activists with the Resistance student movement, along with activists of certain opposition parties, were being interrogated and suspected of all sorts of things in Vrçaåkoj Baçi, in Zreçaninu, Kçaæevcu, Ivaçici, Aleksandrovcu, Batoåini, Priboju, Zajeåaru, Boru, Subotici, Panåevu, Novom Sadu, Jagodini, Åaåku, Niãu, Smederevu, Zemunu...  In Ariýu, Vrçaåkoj Baçi i Uæicu even minors were being arrested.

In Leskovac, for instance, the police interrogated Sasa Pesic, member of the Democratic Party, about the origin of the pamphlet where the President of the Serbian Parliament is aksed: "Are you ashaimed Dragan Tomic?"

The police in Leskovac tried to prevent member of the Democratic Party from setting up a stall for distributing pamphlets, but citizens literally took all the pamphlets before the police even managed to carry out its action.

The regime's campaign has two results: parents have temporarily prohibited minors from going to the city, while the number of member of the Resistance student movement has increased, and the Resistance is holding a founding session.  In their call they invite citizens of Belgrade, Nis, Novi Sad, Kragujevac, Pozarevac... and all other towns and villages in Serbia to join the Resistance, regardless of age, sex or religious persuasion, "to put an end to the attempt by the ruling parties to prohibit life in Serbia."  After the demonstrations in Belgrade, 31 people were sentenced for disturbing public peace.  A delegation of the Belgrade Municipal Parliament and the Serbian Renewal Movement for instance was nto permitted to see them, even though the delegation included the Mayor of Belgrade Vojislav Mihajlovic and President of the Executive Municipal Council of Belgrade, Spasoje Krunic.

In Nis the police arrested six individuals after an incident in front of the Municipal Parliament of Nis when certain SPO MP's were beaten while exiting the parliament buildign.

The Holy Council of the Serbian Orhodox Church called on state officials "to immediately stop violent stopping of non- government media," and called on all political organizations and citizens to "withhold from all forms of violence and calls for a civil war."

After the police intervention against the demonstrators in Belgrade in 1990, 1993, 1996 and 1997 a great number of people would immediately flock to the streets the next day.  This time this did not happen in Belgrade.  The meetings were smaller and smaller, but when Serbia is taken as a whole, the unrest, despite the police combing, is beginning to look like the winter protests of 19961997, even though they are smaller in size and barely include 50,000 people in ten cities.  Small tactical conflicts.  However, they have taken hold of Serbia in its entirety...