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- According to the Russian news agency Interfax, around 150,000 opponents of the government demonstrated in the streets of the capital, Minsk.
- They called for the so-called “March of Heroes”. This one is dedicated, among other things, to opposition activist Maria Kolesnikowa, who was arrested this week.
- It is the fifth Sunday rally since the controversial re-election of President Alexander Lukashenko.
- More than 400 people were arrested in Minsk alone, the Interior Ministry said.
The Interior Ministry said the people were arrested for attending an unauthorized mass event and for wearing unauthorized symbols. In addition to Minsk, there were protests in other cities in the country, including Vitebsk and Grodno.
Clearly outnumbering loyal supporters of the government – Lukashenko’s opponents.
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Many people wore the historic white, red and white flag of Belarus, which has become a symbol of the democratic movement. In Minsk, a large contingent of police and army took up positions.
Barbed wire and internet turned off
Mobile internet was disconnected so that protesters could not communicate through the demonstration route. Subway stations and underpasses were closed. The Plaza de la Independencia was surrounded by uniformed men and closed with metal bars, according to a reporter from the German Press Agency. At the Palace of the Republic in the center of the city, uniformed men tied barbed wire to metal bars.
Rude handling: protesters get carried away.
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There were trucks of prisoners and security guards on many side streets. In the fifth major Sunday rally since the controversial presidential election on August 9, the capital of the former Soviet republic looked like a fortress.
The protesters are being repressed by the security forces.
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A tougher repression is prescribed
Since the elections more than a month ago, there have been daily protests across the country. Lukashenko, 66, had recently changed the top of the security apparatus and called for a tougher crackdown on protesters.
