Demonstrations in Belarus: Crowds defy the intense security presence in the center of the capital to demand the resignation of President Lukashenko

Thousands of people are heading in columns towards the center of the Belarusian capital, Minsk, to join a new protest rally against President Alexander Lukashenko.

And riot police, equipped with water cannons and barriers, closed parts of the city and arrested several people in light of the injury reports.

The protesters are calling for Lukashenko’s resignation as they accuse the authorities of manipulating his re-election more than a month ago, sparking a massive bloody unrest.

At least four people have died and hundreds have been injured since then as the government tried to crack down on dissent. Several opposition figures fled the country. On Saturday, activist Olga Kovalkova was the last to say she had sought refuge in neighboring Poland amid threats of prison.

Lukashenko, who has been in power in the country since 1994, accused Western countries of interfering.

Protesters, human rights activists and observers say riot police are brutally cracking down on peaceful marches.

The former Soviet republic shares borders with Russia, on which it relies heavily for its energy needs and with which it has historically maintained close ties, and also shares borders with Ukraine and countries of the European Union.

What is happening now?

BBC Minsk correspondent Yona Fischer says Sunday has become the main day for organizing street demonstrations since marches and rallies began in the country.

But riot police have stepped up their efforts to intimidate people and prevent them from flowing into the city center today, while detaining those taking part in the demonstrations, the BBC says.

Our correspondent adds that in recent days the security forces, who wore black clothes and a mask on their faces, have witnessed attacking university students on their return from vacation, while some of them ran from the streets and buildings of the university to civilian cars.

Images posted on social media on Sunday showed armored personnel carriers and vehicles with water cannons driving through Minsk city center, some of them heading towards Independence Square, which was cordoned off.

One of the protesters in Minsk told BBC News that the security forces did not deter the protesters, saying: “We are not ready now to return to the life we ​​have lived for many years.”

“We finally feel that we are important because we have lived in a state of indifference for a long time and now we have this feeling of solidarity and we actually think, well, I personally feel, that changes are starting to happen and therefore this moment definitely This is not the right time, “added the protester, Lyudmila. Give up. “

Reports indicate that protests have broken out in other Belarusian cities and towns, including “Grodno”, “Mogilev” and “Gomel”.

What happened to Olga Kovalkova?

The activist said on Saturday that she had left for Poland, where she would have faced a lengthy prison sentence if she had not agreed to leave Belarus.

Kovalkova said security forces drove her to a border post, where she managed to board a bus bound for Poland, after the driver recognized her.

A spokesman for Polish Prime Minister Matthews Murawiecki said his country will provide support to the victims of the repression in Belarus.

And last Friday, opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, who has applied for asylum in Lithuania, called on the United Nations to help stop the authorities’ crackdown on protesters.

Tikhanovskaya, 37, was the main opposition to President Lukashenko in the elections, as she entered the presidential race after her husband, Sergey Tikhanovskaya, and another candidate were jailed.

He said the opposition demands an end to police violence, the immediate release of all political prisoners and the holding of free and fair elections.

How has the European Union reacted to the events in Belarus?

Last month, European Union leaders agreed to impose sanctions, including a freezing of bank assets, on Belarusian officials who have so far not been identified and who participated in alleged electoral fraud and the brutal handling and imprisonment of protesters. . Work is still ongoing to determine the nature of these penalties.

For her part, the UN Special Rapporteur for Belarus, Anais Marin, said that Lukashenko’s re-election as president had been “completely manipulated” and that “the voices of the people had been stolen.”

The police accused Belarus of having committed torture, citing an example of a 16-year-old boy who “was beaten so badly that he was left in a coma.”

“The authorities should release all those arbitrarily arrested,” Marín said. “The government is waging a mad war against its people.”

What is Luca’s positionShinku؟

Lukashenko has denied the allegations of election fraud. And he blamed some European countries, especially Poland and Lithuania, for trying to force a regime change.

Lukashenko, 66, vowed to defend Belarus.

Last Thursday, he hinted that he was open to reaching out to Russia, saying the protests “led us to draw conclusions related to this.”

On at least two occasions, he was photographed near his residence in Minsk with a rifle and surrounded by heavily armed security personnel.