[ad_1]
More than 100,000 people protested in Minsk for three weekends. people, and this Sunday, according to the AFP news agency, the crowd could have been even bigger.
PHOTO GALLERY. Protests in Minsk
Soldiers, a water cannon, armored vehicles and reconnaissance vehicles were deployed in central Minsk, but this did not deter protesters from all walks of life, from parents with children to students and clergy.
About 250 people were arrested across the country on Sunday, 175 of them in Minsk, according to the Viasna human rights center.
Representatives of the Interior Ministry declined to confirm these figures.
Many protesters carried red and white banners and posters. One group played drums, played other instruments.
“Despite the rain and pressure from the government, despite the repression, many more people gathered in Minsk than last Sunday,” opposition activist Maryja Kalesnikava told reporters. “I’m sure the protests will continue until we win.”
For almost a month there have been unprecedented protests in Belarus over the presidential elections on August 9, which were won by the authoritarian leader Lukashenko, who has ruled the country since 1994. The opposition and Western countries consider these elections to be rigged .
Opposition candidate Sviatlana Cichanouskaya claims she won the election, but Lukashenko’s security forces detained thousands of protesters, many of whom accused the militia of being beaten and tortured. Several people died while suppressing the demonstrations.
Pressured by the authorities, S. Cichanouskaya left Belarus for neighboring Lithuania.
See more about the situation in Belarus in the TV3 report:
[ad_2]
