Hundreds of ex-reservists protest in Pirot

Several hundred former army reservists are protesting today in front of the Pirot town hall, in southern Serbia. The military reservists from Pirot, Dimitrovgrad and Bela Palanka are demanding to be paid wages for the 1999 Kosovo war. Hundreds of ex-reservists protest in Pirot The reservists began a peaceful walk from the city streets towards the Belgrade-Sofia highway, but were stopped on the bridge by a large number of Gendarmerie officers. Last week, their colleagues from Leskovac clashed with Gendarmes as they tried to block the Nis-Skopje highway. They later agreed on a way to end the wages dispute in talks with with Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica in Belgrade. Today, president of the striking council of Pirot's veterans Zoran Stanisic called on the Gendarmerie to allow the protesters to cross the bridge “which leads to the capital city of the Serbian government.” After an hour of waiting, the reservists returned to the municipal building in the town. A delegation of reservists will talk with Pirot municipal chief Goran Stamenovic later in the day, it was announced. Stanisic said that the reservists had no choice but to protest, ” after two months of wrangling with the government.” “We saw that we are not able to do this in a more peaceful manner and we have followed the example of other cities and reservists who have gotten their wages,” Stanisic said. He said that there are about 5,000 former army reservists in Pirot and about 1,000 more in the three districts of the Pirot municipality. Stanisic said that the their further actions will depend on today’s meeting with municipal officials.

Hundreds of ex-reservists protest in Pirot

The reservists began a peaceful walk from the city streets towards the Belgrade-Sofia highway, but were stopped on the bridge by a large number of Gendarmerie officers.

Last week, their colleagues from Leskovac clashed with Gendarmes as they tried to block the Niš-Skopje highway. They later agreed on a way to end the wages dispute in talks with with Prime Minister Vojislav Koštunica in Belgrade.

Today, president of the striking council of Pirot's veterans Zoran Stanišić called on the Gendarmerie to allow the protesters to cross the bridge “which leads to the capital city of the Serbian government.”

After an hour of waiting, the reservists returned to the municipal building in the town.

A delegation of reservists will talk with Pirot municipal chief Goran Stamenović later in the day, it was announced.

Stanišić said that the reservists had no choice but to protest, ” after two months of wrangling with the government.”

“We saw that we are not able to do this in a more peaceful manner and we have followed the example of other cities and reservists who have gotten their wages,” Stanisić said.

He said that there are about 5,000 former army reservists in Pirot and about 1,000 more in the three districts of the Pirot municipality.

Stanišić said that the their further actions will depend on today’s meeting with municipal officials.