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According to the center, most of the people were arrested in Minsk. Arrests were also made in Brest, Vitebsk, Grodno, Gomel, Lida, Navapolacke and other cities.
For the third consecutive month, there have been massive protests in Belarus over the presidential elections on August 9, announced by Aliaksandr Lukashenko, who has ruled the country since 1994. The opposition and western democracies consider these elections to be rigged.
The protesters are demanding the resignation of Lukashenko, the release of political prisoners and new elections.
Belarus’ opposition leader, former presidential candidate Svetlana Cichanouskaya, issued a “people’s ultimatum” to Lukashenko earlier this month, giving Lukashenko two weeks to resign, end the violence and release political prisoners. Otherwise, he warned, a general strike will be held as of October 26.
On Monday morning, Belarusian channels on the Telegram platform began to announce staff meetings and possible strikes at a chain of major national companies, including Grodno Azot, the Minsk Wheel Tractor Plant (MZKT), the Tractor Plant Minsk (MTZ) and the Minsk Power Plant. They were joined by private companies.
In addition, there have been reports of “sit-ins” in some higher education institutions, some of which took to the streets of Minsk in small columns. Witnesses said the people were detained during student campaigns.
An unauthorized “national campaign to support strikes” was carried out in the center of the capital on Monday.
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