30 years since massive March demonstrations and Milosevic's tanks in the streets of Belgrade

Photo: Wikipedia/Ranko Tomic

On this day 30 years ago, the first mass protest against the regime of Slobodan Milosevic was held in Republic Square in Belgrade, under the slogan, "A rally against the five-pointed star" (symbol of Communism).

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The political scene in the country started to get heated much earlier than these demonstrations, an when on February 16 TV Belgrade broadcast a report stating that the opposition SPO was cooperating with the regime in Croatia, the party's leader, Vuk Draskovic, called for a demonstration to take place "on March 9, at noon sharp in Republic Square" - with the protesters' main demand being the sacking of the director of the Serbian state television, TV Beograd, as well as four of the broadcaster's editors.

The demonstration, organized by the SPO and Draskovic served to demand the resignation of TV Beograd Director-General Dusan Mitevic and of Interior Minister Radmilo Bogdanovic, but later turned into an uprising against Slobodan Milosevic.

Police and tanks in the streets

A large number of citizens marched to the square on March 9, but the Milosevic regime did not want to allow the demonstrations, so the police blocked access to the square and tried to push back the participants.

Before the charge of law enforcement officers, opposition leaders took refuge in the National Theater, from there Draskovic addressed the crowd and shouted, "Attack!" Fierce, hours-long clashes began in Belgrade's streets at that point, with the police using batons, tear gas and water cannons.

During the evening, at exactly 7:30 pm, tanks appeared in the streets of Belgrade and this was done at the request of the Serbian leadership.

Although there had been official requests, a state of emergency was not introduced. At the session of the Presidency of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRJ), only the proposal of the HQ of the Yugoslav Army's Supreme Command to raise the combat readiness was adopted due to the deteriorating political and security situation in the country.

Believing this was not enough, the Serbian member and the chair of the Presidency at the time Borisav Jovic resigned in front of TV Beograd cameras.

City center ransacked, more than 100 arrested and injured, two dead

The city center was ransacked during the riots, while 114 people, 58 police officers and 86 citizens were injured in the clashes, as 158 people got arrested, including Draskovic.

High school senior Branivoj Milinovic (18) and police officer Nedeljko Kosovic (54) were killed. Milinovic was shot dead the when police opened fire on a group of protesters, while Kosovic died while fleeing from protesters after falling from a height of five meters.

The demonstrations continued and on March 10, students joined the protesters, starting their march from New Belgrade and managing to break through a police blockade on a bridge, reaching the city center.

Speakers were taking turn on Terazije Square for a few days after that during what was then called "a plush revolution" - until March 14, when all their demands were accepted.

Milosevic tried to respond by organizing a "counter-rally" at Usce, but in the end he still had to fulfill the demand to dismiss state TV director Dusan Mitevic and his leading people, who resigned.

Interior Minister Radmilo Bogdanovic also resigned.

(Telegraf.rs)