Rock Band Urges Bosnians to Keep Protests Alive

While performing several songs in the Bosnian capital's main Ferhadija pedestrian area, the popular band Dubioza Kolektiv urged the citizens of Sarajevo to maintain support for the street protests and civic plenums that have toppled local governments in the country.

More than 100 people participated in a plenum held later on April 3 at the Skenderija plateau. The plenum's first home, the building of Dom Mladih, is no longer available to them since the management demanded repayment of expenses.

In spite of the pop band's urging, the wave of protests that began in Bosnia in February is losing momentum.

Public protests have continued in Sarajevo, but in the last few weeks only a few dozen people have showed up.

In a move to re-energise the plenums, the pop band joined the session in Sarajevo where, instead of commenting verbally, they played socially aware hit songs.

But some of the band members said that this was not a regular concert but their way to push people to speak up about problems they have with the society.

“We are here to create some atmosphere which would inspire people and to be part of all this,” said Brano Jakubovic, “We are not here to entertain anyone.”

The plenum in Sarajevo Canton meanwhile is waiting to see whether the Cantonal Assembly will accept its list of demands for reform.

In Tuzla, in northern Bosnia, the local plenum has succeeded in getting a new...