Tens of thousands of opposition protesters gathered in the capital of Belarus for the biggest demonstrations yet against the contested re-election of President Alexander Lukashenko, even as the leader refused calls to hold and hold fresh interviews.
In a provocative speech at a smaller rally of his own supporters in Minsk’s Independence Square, Lukashenko said Belarus would “die as a state if it agreed to hold new elections under pressure” and accused NATO of mass violence. western border of his country.
“I called you here not to defend me … but for the first time in a quarter of a century, to defend your country and its independence,” the 65-year-old leader said.
Belarus has been hit by a week of street protests, after protesters accused Lukashenko of running for president last Sunday, claiming 80 percent of the vote.
Lukashenko, who has ruled Belarus for the past 26 years and faces the biggest challenge for his leadership, denies the allegations.
Tens of thousands of Belarusian opposition supporters gather in Minsk this morning to take part in a ‘March for Freedom’ over the contested re-election of President Alexander Lukashenko [AFP]“I’m not a fan of rallies, but alas, it’s not my fault. I had to call you to help me,” he said as some 5,000 supporters waved national flags and shouted, “Thank you!” and “Belarus!”
Wiping his eyebrows, the president, who stood on a stage in a short-sleeved shirt, insists on the legitimacy of his election victory over popular candidate for opposition, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya.
“The election was valid. There could not be more than 80 percent of the vote falsified. We will not leave the country,” he said.
He warned of a threat from neighboring NATO countries, as well as from the opposition movement calling for new elections, as the public shouted “No!”
“Lukashenko must answer”
Lukashenko’s rally coincided with the nationalist protest movement “March of Freedom”, which saw tens of thousands of people gather in Minsk.
Other major Belarusian cities and towns also saw large gatherings, local media reported.
Al Jazeera’s move Vaessen, reported from the capital, said Lukashenko’s rally was “almost organized” and “dwarf” compared to the opposition protest.
“[There is a] euphoric mood here in Minsk, unusual scenes, “she said. “People here come to us and say, ‘we are changing the country, you are witnessing history,'” Vaessen added.
Singing “Leave!”, The opposition supporters marched down the Independence Road, some carrying a red and white flag, once the state flag and now using it to represent resistance to Lukashenko’s government.
Protesters picked up victory signs and held flowers and balloons, with many wearing white, the color that has come to symbolize the opposition movement. Those marches included a group of veteran paratroopers in uniform berets.
“It’s unbelievable what I see here now, there are up to 100,000 people here. Huge crowds,” Vaessen said. “This is what Lukashenko did not expect.”
Protesters hold placards with slogans such as “We are against violence” and “Lukashenko must answer for torture and death”.
A violent police collapse of Protestants saw more than 6,700 people arrested, hundreds injured and two people dead. Many Protestants claimed to have been tortured in custody.
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Belarus’s President says Putin is ready to ‘guarantee security’ (2:50) |
The brutal repression of protests against Waterways in Belarus has drawn harsh criticism from Western countries and the United Nations.
Foreign ministers of the European Union said on Friday that they had rejected the election results in Belarus and began compiling a list of officials in Belarus who could face sanctions for their role in the outcome.
US Prime Minister Mike Pompeo said on Saturday that he was happy to see some Protestants in Belarus liberated, but that it was not enough. He said the presidential inquiry lacked democratic standards.
On Sunday, Lukashenko spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who told the Belarussian leader that Moscow was ready to provide assistance in accordance with a collective military pact if necessary, according to a statement issued by the Kremlin.
Lukashenko’s challenger, Tikhanovskaya, who fled to neighboring Lithuania on Tuesday, had protested over the weekend and called for an election report. Her campaign announced that it was starting a national council to facilitate the transfer of power.
Victor Olevich, lead expert at the Center for Actual Politics, a Moscow-based think tank, told Al Jazeera “Lukashenko has lost any remnants of legitimacy he still had after the massively falsified elections that gave him 80 percent of support. “
“As far as the Russian position is concerned, Moscow cannot afford to give significant support or appear if it gives significant support to a leader who has lost legitimacy among his own people in his own country.
“Otherwise, this would be against Moscow’s long – term run in Belarus, because then the Belarusian people will believe that Moscow is not acting in their best interests.”
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