OPPOSITION PROTEST CAMPAIGN GETS STARTED

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005445147
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: June 24, 2015
• Document Release Date: August 25, 2010
• Case Number: F-2009-00733
• Publication Date: September 29, 2000

Opposition Protest Campaign Gets Started
29 September 2000
15:00 EDT
Spot Comm 13
The Democratic Opposition of Serbia (DOS) this afternoon kicked off its rally in the center
of Belgrade to announce its strategy to wrest control of the FRY Presidency from Milosevic
in coming days. The rally began late and the crowds numbered only around 20,000. DOS
senior official Djindjic announced that a second rally would be held in the center of Belgrade
tonight at 1800 local time and subsequent rallies are expected in Serbia this weekend.
Djindjic said that a general strike throughout Serbia is slated to begin on Monday.
? In many cities and towns, students and teachers are boycotting classes until
Kostunica becomes president, while doctors, nurses, and shopkeepers plan to do
the same, according to press reports. Crowds numbering in the low thousands
turned out in Nis, Cacak, Kraljevo, Kragujevac, and Sremski Mitrovica to engage
in acts of civil disobedience, including blocking roads and closing cimenas and
theaters, as well as holding strikes affecting medical centers, transportation,
media, and other public services.
? DOS presidential candidate Kostunica told EU Heads of Mission yesterday that
he favors a strategy that combines nightly demonstrations to press Milosevic
internally and international diplomatic pressure against the regime. However, he
remains wary of holding a general nationwide strike because he considers it is too
provocative, suggesting some differences of opinion with Djindjic regarding
opposition strategy. Kostunica said he also plans a deliberate procedural
specifically Greece and Russia, to recount the ballots to prove that the DOS presidential
candidate won in the first round.
? Athens quickly agreed to send monitors to verify the ballot count, according to
press reporting. Meanwhile, Russia's Balkan envoy Chizhov plans to travel to
Belgrade on Monday to try to break the impasse between the opposition and the
regime.F--~
Meanwhile, Milosevic appears to be reinvigorating the repressive policies pursued by the
regime during the run-up to elections in preparation for the next round.
APPROVED FOR RELEASE[] DATE:
06-23-2010
 ? Press reports indicate that Serbian police are again detaining Otpor activists or
summoning them for questioning-a practice that had ceased in the immediate
aftermath of the elections.