FLASHBACK: On This Day in 2000, Slobodan Milošević Was Overthrown in Serbia’s Bulldozer Revolution

On this day in 2000, Yugoslav President Slobodan Milošević was overthrown during the Bulldozer Revolution when hundreds of thousands of protesters stormed the parliament in Belgrade to contest fraudulent election results, forcing his resignation.

The unrest stemmed from Milošević’s refusal to resign after he garnered fewer votes than opposition candidate Vojislav Koštunica in the September 24 presidential election. The Yugoslav government claimed Koštunica had received only 49 percent of the vote, requiring a runoff, but independent monitors showed he had won around 56 percent, an outright majority.

The regime’s move to annul the election results triggered mass protests. On October 5, half a million protesters took to the streets of Belgrade, answering opposition calls to demand Milošević’s resignation.

Protesters broke through police barricades and stormed the federal parliament building, setting part of it on fire. They also took over the state television building, which was subsequently set ablaze.

The takeover of state media was a critical moment, as it had served as Milošević’s primary propaganda tool for over a decade.

Koštunica addressed the crowd of hundreds of thousands, declaring, “Good evening, liberated Serbia,” and told them he was now Yugoslavia’s president. He claimed that Milošević had fled his home.

The regime’s security forces largely refused to intervene. Police units were reported to have vacated stations, and some officers joined the protesters. The army stayed in its barracks.

International reaction came swiftly. U.S. President Bill Clinton said, “The people of Serbia have made their opinion clear. They did it when they voted peacefully and quietly, and now they’re doing it in the streets because there’s been an attempt to rob them of their vote”.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair stated, “The message for Milošević is clear: go, go now, go before any more lives are lost”.

Milošević conceded defeat the following day, October 6, and Koštunica was inaugurated as president soon after. The events marked the beginning of Serbia’s transition toward democratic governance.