Overthrow of Slobodan Milošević

The overthrow of Slobodan Milošević, president of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, began after the general election on 24 September 2000 and culminated on 5 October 2000. It is commonly referred to as the 5 October Revolution (Serbian: Петооктобарска револуција, romanized: Petooktobarska revolucija) or as the Bulldozer Revolution (Багер револуција, Bager revolucija), after an event during the day-long protest in which a heavy equipment operator charged the Radio Television of Serbia building, considered to be symbolic of the Milošević regime's propaganda.

Prelude

Milošević's rule had been described by observers as authoritarian or autocratic, as well as kleptocratic, with numerous accusations of electoral fraud, political assassinations, suppression of media freedom and police brutality. He became the first sitting head of state to be charged with war crimes. His role in the Yugoslav Wars led to international sanctions against Yugoslavia, which had a devastating impact on the Yugoslav economy and society, while NATO bombing significantly damaged the country's infrastructure. While the overthrow of Milošević was reported as a spontaneous revolution, there had been a year-long battle involving thousands of Serbs in a strategy to remove the leader's legitimacy, turn his security forces against him, and force him to call for elections, the result of which he would not acknowledge.

In 1998, a dozen students met to form Otpor! (Serbian for "resistance"). Analysing the 1996–97 protests, they realised they needed more effective organisation, strategy, planning, and recruiting for a sustained fight. Galvanised by outrage over new laws that imposed political control of their universities and harassment of independent media, the Otpor students called for the removal of Milošević and the establishment of democracy and the rule of law.