SERBIAN RADICALS ANNOUNCE MASS PROTESTS OVER KARADZIC'S ARREST
BBC Monitoring International Reports - July 22, 2008 Tuesday

Excerpt from report by Serbian private independent news agency FoNet

Belgrade, 22 July: Several hundred persons gathered at Belgrade's Republic Square after 1700 [1500 gmt] in support of The Hague indictee Radovan Karadzic. The gathering finished at around 1900 [1700 gmt], after Serbian Radical Party (SRS) secretary-general Aleksandar Vucic had appealed to those gathered to go away.

A group of young people were wearing T-shirts and insignia with photos of Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic and chanted The Hague indictees' names, while they were cursing Serbian President Boris Tadic and Interior Minister Ivica Dacic.

A flag of the ultra right-wing organization Obraz was spotted at the gathering, patriotic songs could be heard, as well as chants "You betrayed Serbia".

Strong police forces, wearing anti-riot gear, were deployed in central Belgrade.

SRS secretary-general Aleksandar Vucic appeared shortly after 1800 [1600 gmt] in Knez Mihajlova Street, near the Ruski Car [Russian Tsar] restaurant.

He was greeted with a big applause and "Aco, you Serb" chants.

Protesters and police clashed in Knez Mihajlova Street at around 1800.

Vucic said that mass protests would be organized over the coming days.

"I hope we will organize big, mass protests and that we will show that we have not killed Serbia," he added.

Vucic thanked those gathered for loving Serbia, Radovan Karadzic, their people, and for fighting for the state.

He added that this today was "a small victory" and that the fight would continue.

"Our determination is bigger than their stubbornness," Vucic said.

Luka Karadzic, The Hague indictee Radovan Karadzic's brother, was with Vucic at the Republic Square.

Source: FoNet news agency, Belgrade, in Serbian 1735gmt 22 Jul 08
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