Thousands of supporters of former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic have taken to the streets of the Yugoslav capital, Belgrade, to mark the first anniversary of his extradition to the war crimes tribunal at The Hague.

Waving Socialist Party flags and chanting "Slobo! Slobo!", demonstrators marched through the city centre and threw stones at a Serbian Government building.

Milosevic is on trial for war crimes charges

The protesters called for Mr Milosevic's release and demanded the Serbian Government hold early elections.

Nearby, about 10,000 opposition party supporters gathered in front of the Yugoslav parliament building and called on the government to carry out reforms.

The demonstrations came on St Vitus' day, one of the most historically significant dates in the Serbian calendar.

'A new slavery'

Mirko Marjanovic, leader of Mr Milosevic�s Socialist Party, told the crowd the current ruling bloc was "run by foreign forces", adding that US Ambassador William Montgomery was "effectively the head of the Serbian Government".

Demonstrators waved pictures of Mr Milosevic and other indicted war crimes suspects, including former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic and his military chief, Ratko Mladic.

At a separate rally, Mr Milosevic�s wife, Mirjana, told supporters the country was facing "a new slavery" - an apparent reference to 500 years of Turkish occupation which ended in the 19th century.

It came a year to the day since the current government which toppled Mr Milosevic handed the former leader to the UN tribunal in the Netherlands.

Mr Milosevic is standing trial at The Hague, accused of war crimes and genocide allegedly committed in the 1990s Balkans wars.