Yugoslav Opposition Storms Parliament Building

B E L G R A D E, Yugoslavia, Oct. 5 -- Belgrade is burning as hundreds of thousands of demonstrators stormed the federal parliament building, setting it on fire. Opposition supporters have taken over TV Belgrade, the regime mouthpiece and there is no sign of embattled President Slobodan Milosevic.

Demonstrators stormed the Parliament building around 3:30 p.m., local time, smashing glass, throwing documents from windows and setting several fires on the ground floor.

Police holed up in the building fired dozens of rounds of tear gas at demonstrators who have threatened not to leave the streets until Milosevic steps down.

State Serb television went blank and one of its buildings in Belgrade was set on fire after riot police handed it over to demonstrators.

“Victory! Victory!” shouted people in the crowd, holdinghandkerchiefs to their mouths against the tear gas.

“Slobodan, Slobodan, save Serbia and kill yourself!” thedemonstrators chanted, while others smashed the windows of thebuilding.

One person was seriously injured as he tried to storm the TV Belgrade building. A 25-year-old man from Chachak was hit by a machine gun in front of the building.

An ambulance earlier took people away who appeared to havebeen injured when police began firing the tear gas. At leastfive others were taken into the city hall on the other side ofthe square.

Child Heads First

The clash began when a child walked up the steps of theparliament as opposition leader Milan Protic addressed thecrowd. Police tried to stop him and people then ran up thesteps toward the door.

Police then fired the gas from inside the building, sendingcrowds pushing back, choking and coughing and holding clothingover their mouths.

Some young people then tried to enter around the back.Police who had been on guard withdrew and young demonstratorsthrew stones at the windows and jumped on the empty policecars. They later set fire to one of them.

“It’s the only way. These people want something to change,”said Ceda, 21, who gave only his first name.