[ad_1]
Witnesses told the Interfax news agency that they had seen ten armored vehicles pass by the State Flag Square, next to which stands the Palace of Independence, the residence of A. Lukashenko, who had entered the territory of the residence and guarded its perimeter.
The square and the entrances to the residence are guarded by law enforcement officers.
Security measures have also been reinforced in other squares in the center of the Belarusian capital. Compared to the previous protests, much more special equipment has been deployed in the center of Minsk.
The squares of Independence and October are fenced off, officers in bulletproof vests are on duty here, some of them are armed with Kalashnikovs.
All access to Freedom Square is blocked, as is the square around the WWII Museum and the nearby park.
In addition, law enforcement officers stand around the previously announced gathering place for protesters and monitor bridges and intersections.
For the third consecutive month, Belarus has protested against the authoritarian leader Lukashenko, who was officially declared the winner of the presidential elections on August 9. The opposition and western democracies consider these elections to be rigged.
Usually most people protest on Sundays.
Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Cichanouskaya issued a “people’s ultimatum” to the Minsk regime on October 13 and threatened a national strike if the head of state did not announce his resignation within 13 days, ending the violence against protesters and released political prisoners.
This deadline expires on October 25.
[ad_2]
