(1 Feb 1997) Natural Sound
Thousands of demonstrators streamed into central Belgrade on Friday night after breaking through a barrier of riot police.
The protesters, who were joined by lawyers, then listened to opposition leaders' speeches.
They're still not backing down from their demands that November's local election results should be officially recognised.
Back on the streets of Belgrade for day 73 of their marathon protest, opposition supporters show no signs of tiring of the stand-off with President Slobodan Milosevic.
Tens of thousands again rallied to the call of opposition leaders, marching on the city centre from outlying regions.
A heavy police presence lined the routes leading to the Serbian capital's Republic Square.
They seemed again willing to allow the demonstrators to pass, until a brigade in full riot
gear appeared set on blocking the path of a column led by opposition figurehead, Vuk Draskovic.
Draskovic argued fruitlessly with the officers, but eventually sheer force of numbers broke through the cordon - to the delight of other protesters awaiting his arrival on the square.
Fireworks flared in the night sky, the protesters clearly thrilled with yet another small victory in the war of attrition with Milosevic.
Lawyers joined the thousands of others in Friday night's march.
Vuk Draskovic then offered the government a conciliatory note in his speech to the cheering crowd, telling them to recognise the election results, let us open a dialogue and let us turn hostilities into friendship.
But another opposition leader, Zoran Djindjic, took a more hard-line stance.
The later Milosevic accepts defeat, he told the crowd, the worse his destiny will be.
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