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Serbs silence 3rd radio station critical of Milosevic
December 4, 1996
Web posted at: 9:30 p.m. EST (0230 GMT)BELGRADE, Yugoslavia (CNN) -- Protesters rallied for another day in Belgrade Wednesday, angered by a government move to silence independent news coverage of the unrest.
Serbia shut down another radio station critical of President Slobodan Milosevic on Wednesday -- this one in his hometown. Editors of radio BOOM 93 in Pozarevac said their station had been closed, doomed to the same fate as Belgrade's B92 station and the student-run Radio Index the day before.
A L S O : West watches warily The station in Pozarevac reached about 300,000 people in and around the city where Milosevic grew up, 50 miles south of Belgrade. The two Belgrade stations reached only the city center.
Thousands of students marched outside Milosevic's office, and about another 150,000 gathered in the center of Belgrade. Wednesday's marches were greeted with silence by authorities.
For two weeks, hundreds of thousands of demonstrators have protested the government's annulment of November 17 municipal elections won by Milosevic's opponents in Belgrade and 14 of Serbia's largest cities.
B92's journalists didn't take the restrictions passively. They launched a Web site on the Internet aimed at trying to build international support.
"He can't go on like this, because the pressure is big on him now and the world has to do something to help us."
-- protester
When they are not ignoring the marches, Serbian authorities criticize them. They ignore lighthearted gestures by the protesters -- such as presenting Milosevic with a traditional Serbian cake -- and instead describe the marchers as a subversive and dangerous political threat.
The government appears determined to muzzle the media to keep the opposition protests from spreading to factory workers and farmers outside Belgrade who are crucial to the opposition's efforts to wrest control from Milosevic.
Serbian authorities reportedly have detained dozens of protesters, leaving their families distraught.
Perka Kalvin's 35-year-old son Lambros vanished Saturday, as did his friend Branislav. Lambros' family said they have had no contact with him. A court document indicated the men were jailed for 25 days for acts of violence, throwing stones and writing slogans.
"I know it's a very dangerous game we are playing," admitted Serbian opposition leader Vuk Draskovic. (16 sec. /192K AIFF or WAV sound)
Serbian opposition has in the past been fragmented, but it has united recently in an alliance called Zajedno, or Together.
Under this mantle, anti-Milosevic forces insist they will resist escalating government threats. But the government shows no sign of backing down or trying to end the demonstrations through political dialogue.
CNN Correspondent Brent Sadler contributed to this report
Related stories:
- Independent radio stations silenced in Yugoslavia - December 3, 1996
- U.S. warns Milosevic not to use force against protesters - December 3, 1996
- Anti-Milosevic protesters take to streets despite threats - December 2, 1996
- Belgrade protesters keep up campaign against Milosevic - November 30, 1996
- Students protest on streets of Belgrade - November 29, 1996
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