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June 29, 1999
Web posted at: 7:24 p.m. EDT (2324 GMT)

In this story: Public gatherings still banned Milosevic calls for renewed ties with West RELATED STORIES, SITES

From staff and wire reports

CACAK, Yugoslavia (CNN) -- Demanding the resignation of Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic, some 5,000 protesters gathered in the central Serbian town of Cacak on Tuesday to call for new elections and democratic reform.

The rally, organized by the main pro-democracy coalition, the Alliance for Change, was the first major opposition protest since the end of NATO's bombing campaign.

Chanting "Change!" and "Resignation! Resignation!" demonstrators flooded the main square in Cacak, about 80 miles (120 kilometers) southwest of Belgrade.

"We want to be part of Europe. Not just because someone is ordering us to do so, but because we want that. All of you have to work to achieve that, not just us the politicians," the mayor of the southern Serbian city of Nis, Zoran Zivkovic, told protesters.

Public gatherings still banned

Although Yugoslavia's parliament has revoked a state of war that gave the government powers to clamp down on protests, a ban on public gatherings remains in place.

Police warned some of the organizers not to go through with the rally and tried to block roads to prevent protesters and some journalists from reaching the town.

A small explosion near the platform briefly interrupted the rally, smashing the windshield of a car. As jeers rose from the crowd, protest leaders urged calm.

Discontent has grown throughout Serbia, Yugoslavia's largest republic, since Milosevic gave in to NATO demands, pulling Yugoslav troops and police out of Kosovo. Serbs seem increasingly disillusioned with his policies, which led to 78 days of NATO bombing and made Yugoslavia a pariah state.

"I'd rather wish we were bombed for one more year than have this one stay in power for six more months," said Gradimir Rakocevic, a worker at Tuesday's rally who was left unemployed by the bombing. "He has been our ruin ... We've come to nothing because of him."

Milosevic calls for renewed ties with West

Milosevic appeared on Serbian television Tuesday with his Cabinet. He called for renewed ties with the West and promised market reforms.

But opposition leaders say Milosevic is quickly losing support.

"The informal opposition towards President Slobodan Milosevic's government I think is very strong," said opposition leader Milan Protic. "In terms of organized opposition, we will see. This is the major test that we, the opposition leaders, will have to pass. It is up to us to persuade these people that we can make a difference."

But many in Serbia continue to support Milosevic and even ultranationalist leader Vojislav Seselj, who recently quit a formal alliance with the president to protest Milosevic's acceptance of NATO demands. Seselj blasted the opposition rally, saying its organizers "serve the West."

Correspondent Alessio Vinci and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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