They demanded the resignation of Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic.

The rally was the latest in a series of nationwide protests called by the umbrella grouping, the Alliance for Change.

One of the leaders of the Alliance, Vladan Batic of the Christian Democratic Party, publicly criticised General Nebojsa Pavkovic over a newspaper interview, in which the general threatened military intervention to stop the opposition causing a civil war in Serbia.

Dragoslav Aramovic attended the Sombor rally

Alliance for Change used the rally to propose that the prominent economist and former Yugoslav central bank governor Dragoslav Aramovic to head a transitional government Mr Aramovic, popularly known as 'Super Grandpa', rose to prominence among Serbs by taming the hyperinflation that beset Yugoslavia in 1994.

He was sacked from the central bank after his plans for radical market reforms were blocked and he began criticising the leadership.

Mr Aramovic said that if he did become head of a transitional government, he would carry out thorough economic and political reforms, the independent news agency Beta reported.

Another opposition rally was scheduled for later on Saturday in the southern Serbian town of Nis.

Djordje Garabandic, president of the farmers union, a newcomer to the Alliance, which groups many small parties, said his union would organise blockades of roads, bridges and border crossings.

He called on farmers to join the blockades which are due to start at the start of next month.