Reign of Terror in Serbia

Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS), Emperors Clothes, 7 October 2000

Despite Mr. Kostunica's public proclamation that his supporters wouldn’t harass members and sympathizers of the SPS, in the last three days, in Belgrade and throughout Serbia, we’ve witnessed a reign of terror. Supporters of the Socialist Party (SPS) have been physically threatened over the phone. Children of socialists have been threatened. Members of the SPS have been beaten. Offices have been attacked and destroyed.

Skillfully directing the dissatisfaction of working people against the Socialist Party, the opposition has organized bullying and lawless actions, driving out Socialist directors of companies, but only if those companies are well established and successful.

In Kragujevac they attacked, tied and abused ten SPS members. This included Ms. Slavica Djukic-Dejanovic. They held her for ten hours, trying to force her to go on TV and renounce her SPS membership. She refused. They finally released her—right into the arms of a drunken mob. She was cursed, slapped, spat upon and kicked, over and over.

In Nish, Mr. Dragisa Vucic, an SPS representative on the town council and a worker at the electric distribution company, was beaten badly. He is in the hospital.

In Belgrade they robbed and then destroyed SPS central headquarters (take a look at our web album) and they have done the same with offices in all the boroughs. (1)

After wrecking the Belgrade offices, members of the opposition parties in Kikinda attacked the Young Socialists' Internet Club. They smashed the doors and windows but SPS members stopped them before they could steal any valuable equipment, which was probably what they were after. The opposition has recruited the worst kind of thugs for this work.

Last night, the Belgrade headquarters was attacked again. This time there was nothing to steal so they burned the building, which is beyond repair. In the town boroughs of Palilula, Vracar, Stari Grad and Zvezdara the SPS offices have been totally destroyed. Everything of value, all the furniture, computer equipment and so on has been stolen.

At night, between the 5th and 6th of October, opposition demonstrators broke into the headquarters in Leskovac, smashed the windows, stole the computer and other equipment and destroyed what they could not cart away. In Jablanica County they demolished the offices, stole equipment, broke windows and damaged the town building. They looted anything they could. Then they burned the building, the garage and Mayor Zivojin Stefanovic's car.

Despite the assurances of the Association of Vojvodina Hungarians that there would be no attacks or threats against people with different opinions, the SPS offices in Kanjiza were attacked. There are continuous telephone threats against those who stand for peace and tolerance. A special target are Hungarian members of the SPS.

In Ada, rioters led by Vojvodina Hungarian leaders have attacked the home of town Mayor Tomic Ognjan, a respected teacher. Police were late in intervening so his house got severely damaged. The home of county mayor Ljuba Slijepcevic was attacked. The savagery was stopped by police.

Demonstrators broke into SPS headquarters in Smederevo, stole everything they found, then stole the equipment used by Radio “S.”

In Lajkovac they demolished the Peasant Bank and Cafe. They broke into the local radio station and stole part of the equipment. They also broke into the SPS town headquarters and tried to loot and destroy these offices but were stopped by SPS members. They tried to do the same with the local TV station.

In Kragujevac the demonstrators entered the Self-Management Club where the SPS headquarters and TV station are located. Police stopped them.

In Vlasotince they demolished the offices of the SPS and the JUL (Yugoslav United Left)as well.

In Temerin they broke in and seized the local radio station.

They attacked SPS headquarters in Pecinci, Prokuplje, Uzice, Bor, Arilje, Zrenjanin, Sremsak Mitrovica and Pancevo.

This is how the “democratic” opposition expresses its much-promised tolerance of all views, all across Serbia.