The protests were covered by local radio in the town of Pancevo, near Belgrade, while other non-state media also continued to cover opposition events.

The independent news agency Beta said a second person had been arrested for organising the demonstrations. He was later released but had apparently been involved in a dispute with the local head of the ruling party, the agency said.

Beta and Montenegrin radio reported that the opposition Democratic Party said it would table a motion at the Belgrade City Assembly calling on President Milosevic to resign.

The radio said the city assembly was the third most important body in the country, after the federal assembly and Serbia's parliament.

The nationalist SRS issued its statement after a meeting of its leaders.

"The domestic media that are under the direct control of the United States and its minions have intensified their dirty propaganda activity by giving extensive coverage to those political forces that have always been in favour of accepting all the Nato aggressor's ultimatums and ultimately the disintegration of the Serbian state," the statement said, according to the state Tanjug news agency.

"It is an incredible absurdity and unprecedented hypocrisy that the very same forces are now the loudest in condemning the situation in the southern Serbian province, thus trying unsuccessfully to present themselves as the defenders of the Serbian national interests and the saviours of threatened Serbhood, while at the same time they see a chance for themselves to gain power in this Serbian tragedy so as to serve all the better the interests of their Western sponsors."

Milosevic decorates policemen

Opposition members of Uzice city council tried to put on the agenda a call for Milosevic's removal, but the Socialists thwarted this by staging a walkout.

Meanwhile, state TV concentrated on the activities of the nation's leaders.

President Milosevic decorated more than 900 policemen for work "fighting terrorism" and "defending the country" during tours of duty in Kosovo.

Tanjug also covered the story and said a total of 1,078 awards were given out to individuals, institutions and businesses for patriotism and national defence

Other items on the national TV news included the arrival of Russian troops in Pristina, items about attacks on Serbs in Kosovo, updates on this year's harvest and a round-up of the celebrations marking Serbian Uprising Day.

Tanjug reported a statement by the opposition Serbian Renewal Movement which said that the Yugoslav Army and Serbian police forces have now complied with UN criteria and should be allowed back to Kosovo.

"The process should no longer be delayed as the presence of our forces in Serbia's southern province is necessary for the further successful stabilisation of the overall situation," the statement said.