Protests erupted in Belarus after exit polls showed President Alexander Lukashenko had long been re-elected, Reuters reported Sunday.
State-approved turnout polls showed the president won 79.7 percent of the vote, while his main opponent Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, a former English teacher, received 6.8 percent, according to the newswire.
Police had blocked streets and at least 10 people were arrested in one place in Minsk, Reuters reported.
Thousands of people took to the streets in the Belarusian capital as protesters clapped, shouting “victory” and shouting their car horns in solidarity with the opposition, according to the newswire.
Local media also reported detentions and clashes between police and Protestants in the capital and other cities in Belarus, according to Reuters.
Lukashenko’s treatment of the coronavirus led to mass protests before the election. He has opposed the coronavirus-related lockdowns that have been imposed in most countries. He has served as President since 1994.
Lukashenko said last month that he had recovered from COVID-19.
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