Global protests against the bombing — millions in the streets

The NATO bombing of Yugoslavia in 1999 provoked one of the largest anti-war movements since the time of the Vietnam War. Across the planet, from Europe to Asia, from America to Africa, millions of people took to the streets to protest against what they regarded as an illegal and immoral aggression against a sovereign state.

Europe on its feet

The most massive protests were organized in Europe, where the proximity of the conflict and the historical memory of two world wars made the bombing especially painful.

Greece — The most massive protests in any NATO member state. Over 500,000 people marched through the streets of Athens and Thessaloniki. Trade unions organized general strikes. NATO traffic in the port of Thessaloniki was blocked. More than 95% of the population was against the war.

Italy — Tens of thousands protested in Rome, Milan and other cities. Catholic peace movements, which invoked the Vatican's stance against the bombing, were especially active. The NATO base at Aviano, from which combat aircraft took off, was the target of constant protests.

Germany — Protests in Berlin, Frankfurt and Hamburg drew tens of thousands of participants. The peace movement in the former East Berlin, where the memory of the bombing in the Second World War was still alive, was especially active.

Britain — Despite Tony Blair's government's strong support for the bombing, anti-war protests in London drew thousands of participants. Harold Pinter, Tony Benn and other public intellectuals led the demonstrations.

Russia and China

Russia — Moscow was the center of the fiercest protests. Tens of thousands of people gathered in front of the American embassy. Demonstrators pelted the embassy with eggs and paint. The Russian Duma unanimously condemned the bombing. Across Russia, from Saint Petersburg to Vladivostok, protest rallies were organized.

China — Massive protests in front of American diplomatic missions in Beijing, Shanghai and other cities. The protests escalated especially after NATO „by mistake“ bombed the Chinese embassy in Belgrade on 7 May 1999, killing three Chinese journalists. Thousands of Chinese students surrounded the American embassy in Beijing in the most massive anti-American protests in China since 1989.

The United States of America

Even in the US itself, where public opinion mostly supported the intervention, significant protests were organized. Demonstrations were held in New York, Washington, Chicago, San Francisco and Los Angeles. The Serbian diaspora was especially active, but they were joined by anti-war organizations, left-leaning groups and libertarians who opposed the intervention.

At universities — MIT, Columbia, Berkeley — debates and protests were organized at which professors such as Noam Chomsky spoke against the bombing.

The rest of the world

Protests were organized on all continents:

• India — Protests in New Delhi and Mumbai; the Indian government officially condemned the bombing
• Japan — Demonstrations in Tokyo and Osaka
• Australia — Protests in Sydney and Melbourne, led by the Serbian diaspora
• South Africa — Nelson Mandela's government condemned the bombing; protests in Johannesburg
• Argentina and Brazil — Anti-war rallies in Buenos Aires and São Paulo
• Egypt and Libya — Arab countries organized solidarity protests

The significance of the protests

The global protests against the bombing of Serbia in 1999 had multiple significance. First, they showed that the NATO narrative of a „humanitarian intervention“ was not universally accepted — a significant part of world public opinion saw the bombing as aggression, not as rescue.

Second, the protests provided moral support to the Serbian people. In moments when bombs were falling and it seemed the whole world was an enemy, the knowledge that millions of people were protesting was a source of strength and hope.

Third, the protests raised the question of the legitimacy of NATO interventions without a UN mandate — a question that remained relevant decades later, especially in the context of the invasion of Iraq in 2003.

Voices that are not forgotten

In 1999, millions of people around the world stood up and said: „This is not in our name.“ In the streets of Athens, Moscow, Rome, Berlin, New York, Beijing — everywhere the voices of protest were heard. They could not stop the bombs, but they showed that the conscience of humanity had not fallen silent.

In a world where war is often presented as an inevitability, those millions who took to the streets reminded us that there is always a choice — and that there are always those who will choose peace. Lest we forget.