RESISTANCE

Since there's so much stuff going on in Venezuela nowadays, I've decided to dedicate this post to share some information with whoever is interested about OTPOR!...

OTPOR! means Resistance! and it was a youth movement in the now extinct Federal Republic of Yugoslavia which has been widely credited for leading the eventually succesful struggle to overthrow Slobodan Milosevic from power back in 2000.

It was formed October 10 of 1998 as a response to repressive university and media laws introduced earlier that year. In the beginning, Otpor's activities were limited to University of Belgrade.

In the aftermath of the NATO airstrikes against FR Yugoslavia in 1999 regarding the Kosovo War, Otpor began a political campaign against the Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic . This movement resulted in nationwide police repression against Otpor activists, during which nearly 2,000 were arrested, some beaten.

During the presidential campaign of September 2000, Otpor launched its "Gotov je" (which means "He's finished") campaign which would galvanize national discontent with Milošević and eventually result in his defeat. Some students who led Otpor used Serbian translations of Gene Sharp's writings on nonviolent action as a theoretical basis for their campaign.

Otpor became one of the defining symbols of anti-Milošević struggle and his subsequent overthrow. The easily recognizable clenched fist logo had an empowering visual effect, but it was their youthful exuberance and brave stand in face of persecution which won most hearts and minds. By aiming their activities at the pool of youth abstinents and other disillusioned voters, Otpor contributed to one of the biggest turnouts ever for the September 24, 2000 federal presidential elections.
Having succeeded in persuading a large number of the traditional electorate to abandon Milošević was another one of the areas where the smear-proof Otpor played a key role. Milošević had in the past succeeded in persuading the public that his opponents were spies and traitors, but on this occasion, it backfired, as the beatings and imprisonments during the summer of 2000 further cemented the decision to vote against the regime in many voters' minds.

OTPOR!'s influence was felt around Europe with similar movements such as: Kmara in Republic of Georgia, Pora in Ukraine, Zubr in Belarus, Oborona in Russia, MJAFT! (Albanian for Enough!)in Albania and lots of others...

OTPOR! even received a Free Your Mind Award at the 2000 Europe Music Awards...