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For weeks, protesters in Belarus have been calling for President Lukashenko’s resignation. But take massive action against critics. Even today: police officers fired stun grenades. There are reports of injuries and arrests.
Tens of thousands of people gather on the streets of Belarus Sunday after Sunday. They demand the replacement of President Alexander Lukashenko, whom they accuse of electoral fraud. The state has been cracking down on protesters for weeks, and this is the case today: According to reports on social media, police officers fired flash and noise grenades at protesters in the capital Minsk. Shots and explosions could be heard in the videos, as well as flashes of sparkles. Eyewitnesses reported various injuries on the Telegram news channel.
Reports of arrests
The Interior Ministry confirmed the “use of special funds against violent protesters.” It is said that you have broken a cord beforehand. The Wesna Center for Human Rights reported more than 200 arrests. In the city of Lida, authorities confirmed the use of tear gas.
According to observers, more than 200,000 people participated in the protests. There are no independent figures for the demonstration. The state media does not show the images with the masses against Lukashenko.
Downtown Minsk cordoned off
Hundreds of police and military had cordoned off downtown Minsk. Uniformed men armed with ski masks took up positions to avoid Sunday’s demonstration. The authorities blocked all metro stations in the center to prevent the influx of people from the districts. They also turned off high-speed mobile internet so that people could not gather to protest.
“Today is a special day,” said civil rights activist Svetlana Tichanowskaja in exile in the EU in a live broadcast. His ultimatum to Lukashenko ends on Sunday: the democratic movement calls for an end to police violence, the release of all political prisoners, the resignation of Lukashenko and a new election. If the conditions of the protesters are not met, many people in Belarus want to go on strike on Monday. “The road will not be easy,” Tichanovskaya said. Public service employees are repeatedly threatened with dismissal if they oppose Lukashenko. Analysts doubt that Tichanovskaya can achieve much thanks to his stay abroad.
Criticism and warning from the US
Since the controversial presidential elections on August 9, there have been protests in the former Soviet republic because Lukashenko, after 26 years in power, was declared the winner with around 80 percent of the vote. The democratic movement claims the victory of Tichanovskaya. The EU supports Lukashenko’s opponents and no longer recognizes him as president. The 66-year-old has the support of Russia.
In a surprise call to Lukashenko on Saturday, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called for the release of political prisoners, including a US citizen. At the same time, he emphasized that the United States supports the democratic movement. The US embassy in Minsk issued a security warning in light of the police violence.
