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The protests continue in Belarus, but fewer and fewer people gather, the security forces detain the protesters again and Lukashenka walks with a gun.
Sunday is already three weeks, traditionally the main gathering day for protesters in Belarus. August 30 was no exception. Furthermore, on that day, Alyaksandr Lukashenka, against whom Belarusians are protesting, turned 66 years old. The old man celebrated his birthday with a pistol, the Belarusians brought him a full set of gifts. It all ended with new arrests.
Correspondent.netfollow the events in Belarus.
Protest birthday
Belarusians have been protesting for 22 days. On Sunday, August 30, rallies were held in Minsk, Brest, Mogilev, Vitebsk, Gomel, Bobruisk and other cities.
The protesters, as in previous demonstrations, demanded the resignation of Alexander Lukashenko and the holding of fair elections for the presidency. But they were less than the previous Sundays, when hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets. Now, according to the estimates of journalists, only tens of thousands of people participated in the demonstration in Minsk, even fewer in the regions.
The security forces made arrests again, 140 people were arrested in Minsk alone. Furthermore, the main squares in Minsk were closed even before the procession started. According to the plan, the protesters gathered at the subway stations and moved to the center, but the main squares – Independence, Victoria, Oktyabrskaya and the square near the Minsk stele – the hero city – were immediately blocked. Furthermore, for the duration of the action, all central metro stations were closed.
As a result, the main flow of people was first along Independence Avenue, where several arrests were made, then along Pobediteley Avenue toward State Flag Square. In the Palace of Independence, the column collided with a cordon of the security forces.
Lukashenka’s Gifts
Minsk women brought pumpkins to the government house. This is a traditional Belarusian custom, which means that the bride does not like the groom. It also exists in Ukraine.
Also in the Minsk protests they brought a coffin for the dictatorship and a huge cockroach for Lukashenka. There were also flower crowns. A man was wearing a straitjacket with the inscription Yes, you accept it, and Happy Birthday, Sashka, put on a shirt.
The protesters put all the gifts on the fence of the Palace of Independence.
It is unclear where Lukashenka himself was at the time. His press secretary, at the request of journalists, sent a photo in which the Old Man with a machine gun walks near the Palace of Independence. The Poole Telegram channel clarified that the photo was taken at 4:00 p.m., when the protesters had already reached the cordon of the Independence Palace. However, Radio Liberty believes there were no protesters at the residence at the time. And when they arrived, they didn’t see a man in those clothes.
RBK
Is the regime winning?
Lukashenka is sure the protests are temporary. And to somehow ease the tension in society, it is preparing changes to the Constitution.
“I think that even though we have a somewhat authoritarian system for organizing public life, nevertheless the President protects and protects the courts. But this is a personal moment, and we must make sure that the system is not tied to individuals, including Lukashenka, ”Old Man said in a meeting with Chief Justice Valentin Sukalo.
Lukashenko has already initiated changes to the constitution twice, in 1996 and 2004. As a result, the president’s powers were seriously expanded and the limitation on the number of presidential terms was lifted. Now, on the contrary, it plans to “share powers” with other institutions. In any case, he made similar statements.
At Sunday’s rally, Lukashenka’s aide Nikolai Latyshenok approached the protesters. He stated that the protests are illegal, the elections were fair, there will be no negotiations between the authorities and the opposition (only with initiative groups), the authorities are preparing a constitutional reform and the coordinating council must be sent to Europe.
The authorities will bet on the fact that the population will finally accept the election results, says Belarusian political scientist Petr Petrovsky. “The vertical of power has remained integral,” he says. According to Petrovsky, the authorities will not dialogue with the protesters.
Furthermore, the protesters have not yet developed a coherent political structure.
“The masses take the streets, but the structures take power. If there is no mechanism, how will decisions be formulated?” Says Belarusian political scientist Andrei Kazakevich.
At some point, the authorities will still be forced to accept some kind of negotiation and discussion of the rules of the additional political structure, Kazakevich did not rule out. In his opinion, Lukashenka will try to do so on his own terms and with partners convenient to the authorities. For example, labor groups. What Lukashenka himself has already hinted at.
