(16 Jul 1999) Serbo-Croat/Nat
More than 10-thousand protesters came to support an anti-Milosevic rally in the central Serbian town of Kragujevac on Thursday evening.
Over the past two weeks, thousands of people have appeared at rallies demanding Slobodan Milosevic's resignation in a sign of growing Serb discontent over the Yugoslav president's hardline policies.
More than 10-thousand people showed up for the anti-Milosevic rally in Kraguvejac, a town which was severely bombed by NATO during its 78-day air campaign against Yugoslavia.
The rally was coordinated by the Alliance for Change, an anti-Milosevic democratic movement which has organized many such events over the past two weeks.
As the crowd cheered the opposition candidates, leaflets were distributed calling for a time for change.
The opposition Alliance for Change, which includes the Democratic Party, has organized the signing of anti-Milosevic petitions all over Serbia.
In just a few days some 20-thousand residents have signed the petition in Belgrade.
But the opposition remains fragmented.
Deep distrust persist among different leaders, left in part by wrangling among them in late 1996 and early 1997 which destroyed a unified mass movement to unseat Milosevic.
Among the protest leaders present here tonight were Zoran Djindjic, Vuk Obradovic and Velimir Ilic.
All appealed to former Yugoslav Vice Premier Vuk Draskovic to join forces with them instead of starting planned separate demonstrations.
Zoran Djindjic, the top figure of the Alliance for Change, is the president of Democratic Party.
In his address, Djindjic said Milosevic must resign by September.
SOUNDBITE: (Serbo-Croat)
"I understand we're going to the end. It's either us or him."
SUPER CAPTION: Zoran Djindjic, president of Democratic Party
Djindjic also warned of more wars and NATO all over Serbia if Milosevic remained in power.
SOUNDBITE: (Serbo-Croat)
"This is a social revolution and if we don't want to see Yugoslav Serbia ruined completely, if we don't want to see NATO troops inside Serbia we have to change something."
SUPER CAPTION: Zoran Djindjic, president of Democratic Party
The protests are a sign of growing Serb discontent with the Yugoslav president's hard-line policies which led to NATO bombing and the virtual loss of Kosovo province.
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