<nettime> Report from Belgrade: Waiting for The Bombs

[Drazen Pantic <drazen@opennet.org>]

Waiting for The Bombs: The End of Independent Media in Serbia?

A few days (how many?) before the planned NATO air strikes on military
targets in Serbia things look ghostly normal here in Belgrade. The weather
is great, people live like nothing will happen, the regime plans new
Assemblies, international envoys go in and out. And the war in Kosovo is
raging, civilians and young people are dying as soldiers for some unknown
cause.

News is that the regime, using the mouth of radicalism, has threatened in
case of air strikes to punish foreign people living in Yugoslavia, and
domestic mercenaries. Domestic mercenaries are of course listed, and it is
no surprise that B92 and Anem are high on the list. Foreign embassies are
making evacuation plans, reducing staff to bare minimum. But the question
is what will happen with independent press here. Some people will manage
to leave, but others will stay exposed to inevitable revenge of radical
people.

The question is also what will remain of the network of radio stations,
ANEM, B92 and OpenNet...Ordinary people are buying supplies of food,
candles and gas. But, how can one reserve a supply of information? And
what people and infrastructure will be left after strikes to offer even a
tiny independent window to reality.

Who will protect us from our protectors?

Belgrade, October 3rd


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