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Tens of thousands have taken to the streets in Belarus again, clashing with riot police to protest President Alexander Lukashenko.
A huge police presence cordoned off areas such as Independence Square in the capital Minsk, and the Interior Ministry reported at least 140 arrests.
The protesters chanted “disgrace” and “go away” in clashes with the police.
Belarus has been hit by massive protests since the August 9 elections, which are believed to have been rigged.
Lukashenko, who has been in power for 26 years, has said that he has no intention of resigning and denies electoral fraud.
What happened on the streets?
It was very tense, with large numbers of riot police confronting lines of protesters carrying balloons, flowers and red and white opposition flags.
Reporting on the height of the protests, Steve Rosenberg of the BBC in Minsk said there were much more police than the last two Sundays when similar rallies were held. Some protesters lay down on the road to try to prevent the riot police from moving, while others shouted “disgrace” and “go away.”
Some made fun of Mr. Lukashenko on his 66th birthday, carrying a cockroach puppet and yelling “happy birthday, rat.”
The police blocked many streets to try to prevent people from reaching the main protest areas.
A large group of protesters marched towards Mr. Lukashenko’s residence at the Independence Palace, which was heavily protected by riot police and vehicles with water cannons.
Armored personnel carriers were seen moving into the area, though subsequent reports said they were also seen leaving and the crowd was largely dispersing peacefully.
Other minor protests were reported in cities like Brest and Grodno.
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Reuters
Large numbers of people gathered around the Hero City monument in Minsk to demand the end of the government of President Lukashenko.
Journalists continue to face problems reporting on the riots. On Saturday, authorities withdrew the accreditation of 17 reporters, most of them Belarusian citizens who have been reporting for foreign media.
Two journalists from the Russian BBC service are among those affected. In a statement, the BBC said it condemned “in the strongest terms this stifling of independent journalism.”
On Sunday, Germany said it was summoning the Belarusian ambassador for accreditation revocations.
Future uncertain in Minsk weather
Another Sunday. Another big protest.
But this one felt different than the weekends before.
After cordoning off Independence Square in central Minsk, the police took action against some of the protesters. After the skirmishes, suddenly there were riot police everywhere: they hit the ground with their shields as a warning and then pushed the protesters down the road.
But the police could not prevent the protest from moving to another part of the city.
What happens next in Belarus depends on many things: on the determination of the protesters to keep taking to the streets; whether Mr. Lukashenko’s security forces are loyal to him; and on the decisions made towards the East, in the Kremlin. Vladimir Putin has already made it clear that he is attentive to developments in Belarus.
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Has Lukashenko reacted?
There is no direct word, although the Interior Ministry confirmed 140 arrests.
Lukashenko’s press secretary sent the Russian media outlet Ria Novosti a photo of him carrying a machine gun in front of the Independence Palace.
Last Sunday, he was seen wearing a bulletproof vest and carrying an assault rifle.
Russian President Vladimir Putin telephoned Lukashenko on his birthday and reportedly invited him to visit Moscow.
It seemed to be the latest sign of support from the Kremlin for a president who has not always been viewed positively by Russia.
But Putin has said that he has formed a police reserve force to intervene in Belarus if necessary, although “it will not be used until the situation gets out of control.”
What is the background?
The unrest in Belarus was sparked earlier this month by an election believed to have been rigged in Lukashenko’s favor.
- Belarus cracks down on journalists covering unrest
The main opposition candidate, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, was arrested the day after the vote and went to Lithuania, from where she has called for protests ever since.
Belarus has witnessed unprecedented opposition demonstrations and workers have gone on strike at major state-owned companies. Thousands of people have been arrested and there have been numerous reports of police brutality.
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At least four people have died and hundreds have been injured.
The European Union and the US are among those who rejected the elections as being neither free nor fair. The EU is preparing sanctions against officials it accuses of manipulating the result to win Lukashenko and cracking down on the opposition movement.
Lukashenko claimed a sixth term when electoral authorities said he had won 80% of the vote. But Ms Tikhanovskaya said that she had gained between 60 and 70% based on the results that had been correctly counted.
A criminal case has been initiated against the Coordination Council, which has since been created by the opposition. Lukashenko accuses him of trying to seize power.
- Two jailed for leading protests in Belarus
- What is happening in Belarus?
The most prominent opposition leader within Belarus, Maria Kolesnikova, has been questioned by prosecutors, as has the winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature Svetlana Alexievich.
