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Belarusians who have been protesting for three months are demanding the president’s resignation, with critics claiming the elections were faked, and the real winner of the election is Sviatlana Cichanouskaja, a newcomer to politics currently living in Lithuania.
Several thousand protesters, holding red and white flags, marched through the central streets of Minsk. Local media report that large police forces have been deployed in the city. Viasna reports that at least 380 people have been arrested in Minsk and other cities in the country. Among them are Andrei Krauchenko, Belarusian Olympic champion, and Olga Chizhova, Miss Belarus 2008, according to the tut.by news portal.
Cichanouskaya said the protests will last “until victory.” He added that the last 90 days had shown that the government “had lost its legitimacy and power.”
Belarus’ opposition leader Cichanouskaya congratulated US President-elect Joe Biden on Saturday on the victory and expressed hope that they can meet soon.
“The whole world has been watching the elections in the United States, a country with a fully functioning democracy,” Cichanouskaya wrote on the Telegram channel. “It was a real competition of ideas, programs and teams, unlike in Belarus, where votes were simply stolen during the elections.”
According to Cichanouskaya, “Biden” will soon meet with the correctly elected president of a new free Belarus. “He added that many Belarusians living in the United States voted for Biden.
According to human rights defenders, people were arrested on Sunday not only in Minsk, but also in Liachavichi, Gomel and Vitebsk.
An unauthorized opposition “People Power March” is taking place in Minsk on Sunday. The activists planned to gather near Freedom Square, but law enforcement officers detained several people there.
The main mass of protesters managed to gather near the stele “Minsk – the hero of the city”, but the officers of the force structures expelled the people.
Additional security measures have been taken in the center of Minsk and special equipment has been brought here.
Belarus has been holding massive protests for almost three months over the August 9 presidential election, which has been declared the winner by Alexander Lukashenko, who has ruled the country since 1994. The opposition and Western democracies consider these elections rigged.
According to witnesses, several columns of special equipment went to the center of the Belarusian capital, including buses with personnel from force structures, machines for transporting detainees, water cannons, machines for installing barriers.
The squares in the center of Minsk are protected by people from the power structures from early in the morning, with metal barriers installed around the Independence and October squares.
The State Flag Square, next to which stands the Palace of Independence, is the residence of the President of Belarus, Aliaksandr Lukashenko.
Mobile operators have interpreted the internet disruption with instructions from the government to restrict internet access.
Belarus has been holding massive protests for almost three months over the August 9 presidential election, which has been declared the winner by Alexander Lukashenko, who has ruled the country since 1994. The opposition and Western democracies consider these elections rigged.
The biggest protests take place on Sundays. They close some metropolitan stations in the capital and restrict mobile Internet.
Witnesses: up to 7 thousand people participate in the protest. people, about 50 people arrested
About 50 people have already been arrested during an opposition protest in Minsk on Sunday, witnesses told Interfax.
The main column of protesters – up to 5 thousand. people – gathered in the wake “Minsk – a hero of the city.”
People started walking down the Winners Avenue driveway, and members of the power structures pushed the protesters and the arrests began.
In total, up to 7,000 people are taking part in the protests in various places in Minsk, according to witnesses. people.
Belarus has been holding massive protests for almost three months over the August 9 presidential election, which has been declared the winner by Alexander Lukashenko, who has ruled the country since 1994. The opposition and Western democracies consider these elections rigged.
The biggest protests take place on Sundays. They close some metropolitan stations in the capital and restrict mobile Internet.
At least 1 person was injured during the protests
At least one person was injured while security forces chased a column of opposition protesters in central Minsk on Sunday, witnesses told the Interfax news agency.
The security forces expelled the protesters, who had gathered at the post “Minsk – a hero of the city”.
When the crowd dissipated, at least one injured man was lying on the grass, witnesses said. Some protesters provided first aid to the injured.
Shots were possibly fired in one of the Minsk areas. A person is hurt. pic.twitter.com/wS4fL65RXm
– Franco Viačorka (@franakviacorka) November 8, 2020
According to witnesses, the ambulance has not yet been seen.
Meanwhile, the number of people detained during the protests in Minsk rose to 66, the human rights organization Viasna reported.
According to the organization, people are also detained in other parts of the country: information has been received about detainees in Liachaviči, Baranovichi and Gomel.
In total, up to 7,000 people are taking part in the protests in various places in Minsk, according to witnesses. people.
Minsk witnesses report the sounds of gunfire at the protest site
Several shots were heard in the northern part of Minsk, witnesses told the Interfax news agency.
According to them, as a column of protesters moved down Melnikaitės Street, several gunfire-like jokes were heard.
At least one person was injured while security forces pursued a column of opposition protesters in Minsk on Sunday, witnesses told Interfax previously.
The injured person was hospitalized, but so far there have been no reports on the nature of his injuries and how he was injured.
At that time, the Viasna human rights center announced that 109 people had already been arrested during Sunday’s protests in Minsk.
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