Armored equipment dispatched to Minsk in preparation for Belarusian opposition protests

The opposition movement is calling for the end of the 26-year rule of the autocrat Aliaksandr Lukashenko. After his disputed victory in the presidential elections on August 9, massive protests take place in the country every Sunday.

The last protests against the government were to start at 2pm local (and Lithuanian) time. The opposition, through social networks, urged its supporters to choose in the center of the capital and take to the streets in other cities.

Opposition news portals have posted video and photos showing army trucks and barbed wire reel machines heading to central Minsk ahead of the demonstration.

The witnesses saw a column of ten armored vehicles.

The Minsk metro announced on Sunday that six metro stations had been closed “to ensure the safety of passengers” before the planned protests.

New protests are being organized on the eve of the anti-riot militia following the expulsion of peaceful protesters who participated in the Shining March with bright accessories. The officers then dragged or carried the protester to the minibus.

Belarusian Interior Ministry spokeswoman Olga Cemodanova said Sunday morning that militias had detained 415 people in Minsk and 15 in other cities due to violations of the rules of mass demonstrations. According to her, 385 people were later released.

Mr. Čemodanavo warned Belarusians that they could be prosecuted for organizing such actions.

Up to 10,000 protests in Minsk. people, about 20 detainees

In central Minsk on Sunday during a protest organized by the opposition, in which up to 10,000 participated. people, about 20 people have already been arrested.

According to the correspondent for the news agency “Interfax”, law enforcement officials are trying to prevent protesters from marching in the wake of “Minsk – the hero of the city.” At the same time, some participants in the campaign are detained, who are taken to machines to transport the detainees.

Witnesses estimate that some 20 people have already been arrested.

Meanwhile, mobile internet has stalled in Minsk, consumers say. Operator A1 explained that mobile internet bandwidth had been reduced at the request of the relevant authorities.

Escalation of violence

The number of women arrested this Saturday is much higher than last week, so the opposition Coordinating Council has warned of a “new phase of escalation of violence against peaceful protesters.”

Among those detained was one of the most prominent figures in the protest movement, activist Nina Bahinskaya, 73. She was later released.

The militia’s aggressive tactics have led the opposition to announce the names of more than 1,000 militiamen on Telegram’s Nexta channel.

The protesters tried to reveal the identities of the militiamen dressed in civilian clothes or uniforms who presented themselves without any identification marks during the demonstrations, trying to remove their masks or ski masks.

Opposition leader, former Belarusian presidential candidate Sviatlana Cichanouskaya, said on Saturday that Belarusians are “ready to end the anonymity of those executing criminal warrants.”

Lukashenko has rejected the opposition’s requests to resign and has asked Russian President Vladimir Putin for help, promising reinforcements for Belarusian law enforcement and $ 1.5 billion. USD loan (EUR 1.3 billion).

Cichanouskaja will meet with the European Union’s foreign ministers and the bloc’s head of diplomacy in Brussels on Monday. The meeting is held in preparation for the Community’s announcement of sanctions against Belarusian officials accused of electoral fraud and violent repression of protesters.

The regime imprisoned many of Cichanouskaya’s comrades, who formed the leadership of the Coordinating Council, or forced them to leave the country.

Maryja Kalesnikawa, one of Cichanouskaya’s election campaign partners, was arrested and charged with threatening national security.