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More than 6,000 people rallied for the ouster of Milosevic on Monday
ALSO: Mass graves in Kosovo may hold thousands of ethnic Albanians Sources: Top NATO commanders clashed over Russians' actions in Kosovo VIDEO CNN's Matthew Chance reports on the growing political opposition against Milosevic Windows Media 28K 80K

August 2, 1999
Web posted at: 10:36 p.m. EDT (0236 GMT)

From staff and wire reports

VALJEVO, Yugoslavia -- More than 6,000 people attended an opposition-led rally south of Belgrade on Monday to hear an Orthodox bishop and other leaders call for the ouster of Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic.

"We support all activities that lead to the removal of this regime and the presidents of Yugoslavia and Serbia," Bishop Artemije, head of the Serb Orthodox Church in Kosovo, told the crowd in Valjevo, a town 80 kilometers (50 miles) southwest of the capital.

It was the first address by a representative of the Orthodox Church to any of the opposition rallies that have been held almost daily over the past month.

The political drive to topple Milosevic has been fueled by the economic hardships Serbs have endured in the aftermath of NATO's 11-week bombing campaign. The United States and European Union have vowed to withhold economic aid until Serbia's leaders are replaced.

"Without changes in Serbia, Serbia and Kosovo will remain a black hole in Europe," Artemije said.

The rally was organized by the Alliance for Change, an opposition umbrella group. But Serbia's opposition movement has been plagued by mutual animosity and distrust, as well as differences on how to oust Milosevic from power.

A Serb farmer uses a tractor as a roadblock to protest government controls on wheat prices

"The only way to change is by having people in the streets. It's now or never ... we should have done it 10 years ago, but this is our last chance," said Zoran Djindjic, leader of the Democratic Party.

Some Serb farmers have begun blocking roads with their carts to protest artificially low prices the government imposes on wheat. Although bread prices are low, farmers say the controls keep their families impoverished.

Opposition leaders concede that only a nationwide movement could force Milosevic from power. But Monday's event marked the first time Serb riot police were present at an Alliance rally, a sign that Belgrade may be worried.

Correspondent Matthew Chance and Reuters contributed to this report.

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