Belgrade was the site of the first mass protest against Milosevic’s regime 34 years ago.  

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**Protests Against Milosevic 34 Years Ago**

On March 9, 1991, mass was in Belgrade against the regime of Slobodan Milosevic. The protest was organized by the Serbian Renewal Movement and had around 100,000 people demanding changes.

The were angry with the biased TV station Radio-Television Belgrade, which they saw as serving only the government’s interests. They wanted to get rid of its top people, including the general director Dusan Mitevic.

**Repression from Authorities**

But the authorities did not want to listen. They called the protesters “forces of chaos and madness” and used police forces, , rubber bullets, and even live ammunition to try to stop them. The police also used water cannons and cavalry to disperse the crowd.

In the clashes between protesters and police, more than 200 people were injured, and two people died: a 17-year-old named Branivoje Milinovic and a named Nedeljko Kosovic.

**Protesters Fought Back**

The protesters fought back against the police, and during one evening, tanks were even brought onto the streets. The president of the Serbian Renewal Movement, Vuk Draskovic, was arrested, and two outlets, Television Studio B and Radio B92, had their work banned.

**Students Join In**

But the protests did not stop there. Students left their campus and occupied a public area near the Terazije Fountain. This marked the beginning of what is known as “plush evolution”.

In the end, after several days of protests, the students’ demands were met, and changes were to the TV station’s management. The of police resigned, and Radio B92 and Studio B continued their work.

**A Symbolic Day**

Although the March 9th protest did not achieve any specific results on its own, it became a symbol of the struggle against Slobodan Milosevic’s regime. It showed that people were willing to stand up for what they believed in, even if it meant facing repression and violence.

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