3. Belgrade Protests

Protests convened in Belgrade on March 9, organized by the Serbian Renewal Movement against the biased reporting of state television, which accused the leadership of that party for betrayal of Serbian national interests. Under the leadership of Vuk Drašković, these protests evolved into massive demonstrations, during which a protester Branivoj Milinović and policeman Nedeljko Kosović lost lives in the mayhem. During the evening, Yugoslav People’s Army tanks rolled through the streets of Belgrade as the police crushed the protest. However, over the following days, students of the University of Belgrade continued to protest, eventually leading to the release of Vuk Drašković from prison and even the resignations of some key regime figures, including the Serbian Minister of Interior Radmilo Bogdanović and the Belgrade television head Dušan Mitević. Slobodan Milošević’s grasp on power seemed shaken, and the future uncertain.