[ad_1]
The national strike in Belarus has started: employees of large state enterprises have not gone to work, shops have not opened, students have not gone to lectures. It is not clear what will happen from now on.
The eleventh consecutive Sunday protest took place in Minsk on October 25. In the capital, Minsk, more than 100,000 people joined. The demonstration also ended the opposition’s ultimatum to President Lukashenko. However, the authorities were never open to dialogue. At night, the security forces went out to look for protesters. Grenades exploded. There were injured people. And the number of arrests increased dramatically.
The Belarusian Foreign Ministry has confirmed the use of “special means” against protesters accused of breaking a police blockade.
More and more protesters
During the protest there was a strong presence of the police and the army, including water cannons and war machines. “Even more people have come here today than in recent weekends,” said one protester proudly.
The protesters did not give up and continued to demand the following: “He who calls himself president” must resign, political prisoners must be released and new elections must be called. Otherwise, a national strike will follow, the start of which has been announced for today, October 26.
“Honestly, I am skeptical. Although I want to be wrong. I believe in Belarusians, I believe that with the ultimatum we can change the situation. And I hope that many will go on strike,” said one student. But she herself is not convinced that the strike will succeed. Like many other protesters. Because the opposition realizes that whoever goes on strike runs a great risk. It puts their safety and livelihoods at risk.
“They are threatened with dismissal”
And yet: according to reports this afternoon, several stores have not opened their doors, students have not attended lectures, and employees of large state-owned companies have not gone to work. On the Internet, an employee of the state company Belarus Neft announced with his colleagues: “We are facing the violence and anarchy that has gripped our country. That is why we are joining the national strike.” And workers at the country’s largest refrigerator manufacturer march around the factory chanting “Resignation.”
However, it is not yet clear how many people will join the strike and when and how it will end. In an interview with the current platform “Current Time”, journalist Irina Chalip said that employees of state-owned companies were under enormous pressure. “They are threatened with dismissal. The contracts of those who participated in the protests from the beginning and signed the petitions are not being renewed.”
[ad_2]
