MACEDONIA: SKOPJE: PRO SERB DEMONSTRATIONS (2)

(9 May 1999) Serbo-Croat/Nat

Some five-thousand pro-Serb demonstrators took to the streets of Skopje on Sunday to show their contempt for the continued NATO airstrikes against Yugoslavia.

They waved flags and shouted slogans comparing U-S President Bill Clinton and NATO to Nazi Germany.

While the Macedonian government has supported NATO, the demonstrations show that public opinion is not as steadfast.

Thousands of Serb sympathisers turned out for Sunday's demonstration.

They held up pictures of the Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic and nearly everyone carried the Yugoslav target protest symbol.

They chanted anti-NATO slogans and showed the three-finger victory sign used by the Serbs.

There was also the ritual burning of the U-S flag.

Among the protesters were young and old - for some, it was a family day out.

There were also a number of war veterans who turned out to give their support.

The Macedonian government has been firm in its support of NATO throughout the campaign which began in March.

The country has also been instrumental in helping absorb the flood of ethnic Albanian refugees streaming out of Kosovo looking for shelter.

But demonstrations like this show there is a strong movement against the air strikes within Macedonia.

SOUNDBITE: (Serbo-Croat)
"We are the ones who should throw NATO out of this country, out of Macedonia."
SUPER CAPTION: Dragisa Miletic, President of Serb Democratic Party of Macedonia

Recent mistakes, such as Friday's bombing of the Chinese embassy, are only likely to strengthen opposition to the NATO action.

The demonstration was quelled for about 15 seconds at one point, when an organiser asked for a moment of silence in remembrance of the victims of the bombing.

It then continued with the singing of the Macedonian and Yugoslav anthems.

This was the first major anti-NATO rally in about two weeks.

It took place without incident.

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