More than 2,000 loyalists of Slobodan Milosevic rallied in front of the Serbian government building Saturday to demand the release of the ex-Yugoslav strongman, jailed on charges of corruption and abuse of power.
Shouting "Free Milosevic" and "It is not too late for reason," the rowdy but non-violent protesters turned out at the calling of Milosevic's Socialist Party, six days after police hauled the former president off to a windowless Belgrade prison cell.
Against the backdrop of the sagging ruins of the defense ministry and army headquarters, bombed in the NATO campaign against Belgrade over Kosovo, the tiny, hard-bitten minority that still supports the fallen leader waved Yugoslav flags and made its cause heard.
They were some of the same, mostly older, supporters who had gathered outside Milosevic's posh villa last weekend, cheering him on during his more than 30-hour standoff with the police and angrily denouncing what they see as a campaign of vengeance against the their nationalist hero.
Reformers toppled Milosevic six months ago following a bloodless popular uprising against the president and his cronies, many of whom are also facing criminal probes now on abuse of power charges – BELGRADE (AFP)
© 2001 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
