Same opposition, 18 years after overthrow of Milosevic

Same opposition, 18 years after overthrow of Milosevic

On this occasion, Citizens Block 381 (Free Citizens Movement, Green Environmental Party - Greeny, Hungarian Movement, Sumadija Region and Tolerance Coalition) will organize a protest walk from the plateau in front of the National Assembly House.

Demonstrations in Belgrade erupted after Milosevic refused to recognize the results of the election for the president of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. In the September 24, 2000 elections, Milosevic lost to DOS candidate and leader of the Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) Vojislav Kostunica.

Demonstrators were on the plateau in front of the then Federal Assembly (today the Serbian National Assembly), arriving from all over Serbia in columns of cars, buses and trucks tens of kilometers longs, using bulldozers to break through roadblocks set up by the police.

As early as in the afternoon, the police used tear gas to prevent demonstrators from entering the Assembly, but unsuccessfully. The building of the Federal Assembly was demolished and set on fire, as well as the building of state broadcaster RTS in Takovska Street.

The police quickly ceased to resist, and largely joined the citizens.

On the evening of October 5, 2000, the new FRY President Vojislav Kostunica addressed the citizens from the terrace of the Belgrade Assembly, and on the following day, October 6, Milosevic recognized the election defeat and congratulated Kostunica.

Jasmina Jovanovic from Milosevac near Velika Plana, who fell under the wheels of a truck, died during the demonstrations. Momcilo Stakic from Krupanj died from a heart attack. 65 people were injured.

18 years later, those who at the time participated in Slobodan Milosevic's regime are again occupying the most important positions in the country.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic was at the time was minister of information, vice president of the federal government Maja Gojkovic is now president of the Serbian National Assembly, former prominent JUL member Aleksandar Vulin is the minister of defense, while then SPS spokesman Ivica Dacic is minister of foreign affairs.

Vojislav Kostunica, who was elected president as a DOS candidate, has in the meantime withdrawn from politics, while Zoran Djindjic, who became prime minister, was assassinated on March 12, 2003.

Slobodan Milosevic died in 2006 in the Hague Tribunal detention, while widow and former leader of JUL Mirjana Markovic is in Russia, where she received asylum.
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