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Belarus has been protesting for more than three weeks after the disputed August 9 presidential election, which was declared victorious by Lukashenko.
But his main rival, opposition spokeswoman Sviatlana Cichanouskaya, says they are his real winner.
According to the AFP journalist and local media, more than 100,000 people gathered for Sunday’s protest, and its size was on par with the previous weekend’s demonstrations in the history of independent Belarus.
The crowd gathered at Lukashenko’s official residence at the Independence Palace, guarded by riot police and special forces supported by snipers on the roof.
Sunday’s rally commemorated Lukashenko’s 66th birthday, and protesters brought a kind of handmade “gift,” including a cardboard toilet with a sign urging the authoritarian leader to “get off,” a coffin with the words “Corpse.” politician, “a model of cockroach: the opposition is reminds the president.
In the State Flag Square half an hour ago, gifts for Lukashenka. Photo: @mbkhmedia pic.twitter.com/DvTrgEYY30
– MBH Media (@MBKhMedia) August 30, 2020
A large cockroach that was introduced to Lukashenka. Video: @mbkhmedia pic.twitter.com/FjWHyH9jaF
– MBH Media (@MBKhMedia) August 30, 2020
People carried flowers and symbolic gifts on the ground in front of a high barrier guarded by riot police equipped with helmets and shields.
It was “the most audacious manifestation of civil disobedience during the three weeks of protests,” reported the opposition newspaper Nasha Niva.
Lukashenko refuses to negotiate
Maryja Kalesnikava, a member of the presidium of the Coordination Council created by the Belarusian opposition, asked in vain to be admitted to the residence for negotiations.
Lukashenko’s adviser, Mikalaj Latyshonak, came out to speak with the protesters and stated that the leader would not negotiate with the opposition.
The Telegram channel, linked to Mr. Lukashenko’s press service, published a photograph of Mr. Lukashenko showing him wearing a bulletproof vest and holding a gun; it is alleged that he was photographed in the palace while the protesters were outside.
Lukashenka was photographed at the residence with a machine gun in his hands https://t.co/qGVYj5r2lR pic.twitter.com/IGBh2osI75
– RIA Novosti (@rianru) August 30, 2020
The protesters began to split up at night, starting to rain heavily. Riot police also began to drive protesters away from the palace.
Thousands of people gathered in similar demonstrations in other Belarusian cities, local media reported.
The March for Peace and Independence began in Minsk on Sunday at 2 pm local (and Lithuanian) time, and the militia began detaining people almost immediately after it began, as people tried to reach the central square of the city. Independence.
Columns of protesters walked through the center, carrying posters and historical white, red and white flags of the country, and car drivers pressed whistles in support of them.
One of the protesters, Nicolás, 33, said he was detained during an earlier protest and was beaten.
“Everything hurts,” he said. “But I came out again to liberate our Belarus.”
“We have to join forces and go out like this every week until Lukashenko leaves,” said Maryja, another 70-year-old protester.
According to the state news agency BelTA, according to the Interior Ministry, 125 people were detained during the first two hours of the protest. Most of them are accused of participating in unauthorized mass protests. Three people were arrested for damaging a militia car, the ministry said.
Despite a large security force, the atmosphere remained calm and festive.
At that time, more than 360 Belarusian athletes, including several Olympic medalists, signed an open letter condemning the falsification of votes during the presidential elections and calling for a new vote.
“Morally bankrupt”
At that time, the Belarusian government on Saturday withdrew the accreditation of journalists working for various foreign media outlets.
Several foreign media outlets, including AFP, the British station BBC and Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty (RFE / RL), have announced the withdrawal of the accreditations of several of their journalists.
A government official said the decision was based on “anti-terrorism” reasons. Germany and the United States condemned it.
A German government spokesman said Sunday that a Belarusian ambassador would be summoned to the Foreign Ministry to protest the move.
Cichanouskaya called the regime’s decision to withdraw accreditations from Western media as “another sign that the regime is morally bankrupt.”
Several protesters who lit up the protests were arrested and the militias confiscated memory cards from the photographers’ cameras.
The authorities had repeatedly cut off Internet access, making it difficult for independent media to report on the demonstrations.
Putin promises support
European leaders called on Lukashenko to enter into a dialogue with the opposition, and Cichanouskaya’s supporters established a Coordination Council to organize a peaceful transfer of power.
Before Sunday’s protests, Lukashenko spoke by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who congratulated him on his birthday.
The Kremlin said the two agreed to meet in Moscow in the coming weeks and reaffirmed their intentions to strengthen ties between Belarus and Russia, with Putin pledging military support for Lukashenko last week if necessary.
In the three days after the elections, around 7,000 were arrested. people, hundreds of victims were hospitalized, several people died.
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