[ad_1]
Belarusians chanted “Happy birthday, rat” and waved red and white opposition flags gathered near President Alexander Lukashenko’s residence today as protesters continued to pressure the veteran leader to resign.
They later dispersed peacefully.
The president, in office for 26 years, has shown no inclination to resign. For the second weekend in a row, he appeared in a black cap and carrying an automatic rifle as he walked past his residence, according to a photo published by Russia’s RIA news agency.
Lukashenko, who turned 66 today, is fighting to contain weeks of protests and strikes since he won the August 9 elections that his opponents say were rigged.
He denies electoral fraud and has said that the protesters, whom he previously called “rats,” are backed from outside.
Russian President Vladimir Putin used a birthday phone call to invite Lukashenko to visit Moscow, a sign of the Kremlin’s willingness to back the president as he deals with unrest and the threat of new Western sanctions.
Tens of thousands of protesters arrived in central Minsk, carrying balloons, flowers and flags, this afternoon. Belarus had a white, red and white flag for a brief period in the early 1990s and it has become a symbol of its protests against the government.
Passing cars honked in solidarity. Some women lay down in protest in front of a cordon of security forces wearing helmets.
The protesters then gathered at President Lukashenko’s residence, which was guarded by a wall of security forces carrying shields. A column of armored military vehicles was seen heading towards the center of the city.
Police made sporadic arrests throughout the day, putting people into prison vans. At least 140 people were detained, the Interior Ministry said.
Some protesters resisted the arrest of what appeared to be plainclothes officers, a witness said.
Previously, video images shared by local media showed women dressed in traditional costumes placing various pumpkins in front of the main government building, a popular custom meant to signal the rejection of a suitor.
In a festive atmosphere, protesters occasionally sang songs. At one point, a man wrapped in a flag knelt and made a marriage proposal to a woman who accepted with a hug and a kiss as passersby cheered.
An aide to the president, Nikolai Latyshenok, ruled out holding talks with the opposition, saying that, in his personal opinion, only about 20-30% of Belarusian society was against the president, Russian news agencies reported.
[ad_2]