Some 20,000 Serbian protesters called for President Slobodan Milosevic of Yugoslavia to resign yesterday evening and his officials insisted they would not allow pessimism about the war-damaged country's economic future.
Meanwhile, thousands of ethnic Albanians attended the funerals at Bela Crkva, in south-western Kosovo, of more than 60 massacred villagers, as Serbs living nearby distanced themselves from the atrocity.
About 20,000 people marched through the southern Serbian town of Leskovac, about 250 km south of Belgrade, local media said last night. They demanded change and the resignation of President Milosevic. The town has been considered a Milosevic stronghold.
The rally was organised by a local television tape editor who started the protest with calls for local political leaders to resign. But as people gathered it became an anti-government rally with many protesters demanding that Mr Milosevic step down.
Beta news agency reported that the crowd chanted: "We want changes", "Go away, Slobo" and "Beat it Slobo, beat it".
The protesters were joined by Yugoslav army reservists, who have been staging sporadic protests across Serbia.
Opposition groups also gathered in Belgrade and other parts of Serbia to voice their dissatisfaction with the government or collect signatures on a petition calling for Mr Milosevic to go.
Serbian officials said in Belgrade they would not allow any pessimism about the country's immediate economic future and instead promised plenty of electricity and food for the winter.
Meanwhile, Russian troops are expected to arrive in Kosovo today after Moscow yielded to NATO restrictions on their deployment, bringing to an end the crisis which began when Russian paratroopers seized control of Pristina airport last month.
Under a deal achieved in Moscow last night, Russian troops will be confined to the French, German and American sectors of Kosovo. Russia had been pushing for its own zone, and demanding that its troops expand into the Italian-controlled sector of Kosovo.