Minsk riots: thousands of protesters shouting against OMON

08/30/2020 Lithuania



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Protesters begin to choose

Participants of the unauthorized opposition “March for Peace and Independence” are beginning to gather in the center of Minsk.

According to the correspondent for the Interfax news agency, residents of the sleeping districts of Minsk form columns at subway stations and then walk to the center of the capital. Protesters of all ages carry white and red banners and posters. Many people go with children.

The first groups of protesters have already reached the city center. Since the closure of the Plaza de la Independencia, people have concentrated on the avenue of the same name and on the adjacent streets. Columns of protesters occupy the sidewalks along the avenue.

According to local media, a support column and support team from the Minsk Tractor Plant (MTZ) with flags and songs walks towards Partizanų Avenue towards the center. People shout “Long live Belarus!”, They are pointed out by car drivers. The column consists of several hundred people.

A column with flags marched from a neighborhood, the portal tut.by reported.

According to Nasha Niva, a group of activists is gathering at the Uschod metro station, intending to go downtown later, and tut.by announced that people are also gathering on Dzerzhinsky avenue, near the metro station. Michalova, where “Long live Belarus!” .

Witnesses – Arrests have begun

Belarusian force officers have started detaining protesters in central Minsk, witnesses and local media report.

According to local media reports, the participants of the “March for Peace and Independence” began to choose near the Hotel Minsk on Independence Avenue. However, six vans approached them to transport the detainees and the militia began detaining the people.

The Plaza de la Independencia itself was closed.

The arrests are carried out with protesters shouting “What a shame!” And car drivers passing by pressing audible signals.

The detainee transport vans quickly fill up with people and quickly leave the square.

Dozens of detainees

Belarusian riot police have already arrested dozens of protesters during the latest mass opposition rally against Alexander Lukashenko’s disputed re-election on Sunday, an AFP reporter reported.

Witnesses said that protesters also marched in the direction of October Square and were surrounded by security forces near the KGB building. In addition, traffic on the avenue to the Plaza de Octubre is blocked.

A little later, a column of people shouting “This is our city!”, Left the Minsk Hotel for October Square.

According to the portal tut.by, a minibus stopped in front of the KGB building. People in civilian clothes tried to arrest several guys and were confused. The protesters demanded the release of the boys, started rocking the minibus and shouted “Let go of me!”

In addition, traffic on the avenue to the Plaza de Octubre is blocked.

The protesters shout: “Get out!”

OMON officials arrive en masse

The security measures around the Plaza de la Independencia have been reinforced, with the use of large militias.

Witnesses report that more and more OMON trucks are driving on the surrounding streets.

The security of the presidential administration has also been strengthened.

By that time, several thousand people had already gathered on Independence Avenue, according to media reports. Many people are also on Karl Marx Street, where the movement is also blocked, and the officials of the force structure do not allow protesters into the presidential administration.

A column of protesters is currently advancing along the avenue and sidewalks towards Plaza Octubre.

Special equipment, including water cannons, as well as OMON groups reinforced with shields and rubber sticks are used to meet with protesters on Avenida Independencia, which is closed to traffic.

Trucks with force workers are parked on Dzerzhinsky Square in front of the KGB building. All the patios near the avenue were closed by the military.

When OMON appeared on Lenin Street, people dispersed into the adjacent courtyards.

A small campaign was carried out near the Plaza de la Independencia. According to Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty (RFE / RL), girls in national costumes “picked pumpkins” in Belarusian songs, according to the Belarusian folk custom of how to greet an unwanted boyfriend.

At that time, various military units were deployed in the wake of the hero of the city of Minsk.

According to a Dpa reporter, the Independence Square in the center of Minsk is fenced off and guarded by security forces.

Residents share a video of military equipment on social media.

The Interior Ministry warned citizens not to participate in the unauthorized demonstration and threatened violence.

Democrats ignored the threats and said on Sunday, as Lukashenko celebrates his 66th birthday, he should see that the people are against him and that his term in power, where he has spent the last 26 years, is coming to an end.

The motto of the planned protest demonstration is “For peace and independence”.

The day before a Women’s Solidarity March took place in the Belarusian capital. According to media estimates, around 5 pm About 10,000 people participated in the campaign. people, arrests were reported.

In Belarus, mass protests against the results of the presidential elections on August 9 are going on for almost three more weeks. The current president, Alexander Lukashenko, who has been in office since 1994, was officially declared the winner of the elections.

According to figures approved by the CRC, Lukashenko received 80.1 percent, and his main rival, Sviatlana Cichanouskaya, received 10.12 percent. votes. The opposition and western countries claim that the results were falsified.

The opposition has already organized two large demonstrations this month and called another large-scale protest on Sunday.



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