KYIV, Ukraine (AP) – Tens of thousands of people marched through the streets of the Belarusian capital on Sunday to call for the dismissal of the country’s authoritarian leader, who won his sixth term in an election that was noted as rigged.
More than 50,000 people took part in the demonstration in Minsk, according to the Viasna human rights center. Protesters carried banners mocking President Alexander Lukashenko, who has ruled the country for 26 years, and shouted “Go away!
Mass protests have rocked Belarus since the presidential election on 9 August that gave Lukashenko a victory with 80% of the vote, while his main rival, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, received 10%. She and her supporters refused to acknowledge the results, saying that the outcome of the vote had been manipulated.
Authorities tried to quell the riots with mass arrests and police dispersed the crowd with cheers, stun grenades and water cannons. On Monday, the country’s Interior Ministry threatened to use firearms against protesters “if necessary,” saying the rallies “have organized and incredibly. “radical. ” However, the protests continued despite the crackdown.
People with old Belarusian national flags march an opposition rally to protest the official effects of presidential elections in Minsk, Belarus, on Sunday, October 18, 2020. Tens of thousands of people accumulated in Minsk on Sunday Mass weekend protests in the Belarusian capital have been taking place since August 9 , when officials approved President Alexander Lukashenko of a crushing victory in an election widely regarded as manipulated (Photo AP).
“This is the first march since the past government threatened to use firearms. But even that prevented the demonstration, which becomes other forms, but faints,” said Viasna chief Ales Bialiatski.
Tsikhanouskaya, who has recently been exiled in Lithuania after leaving the country for his safety, threatened Tuesday to call a national strike unless Lukashenko announced his resignation, freed political prisoners and stopped the crackdown on protesters.
“If our demands are not met until October 25, the whole country will take to the streets peacefully,” Tsikhanouskaya said in a statement. “On October 26, a national strike will begin on all companies, all roads will be blocked, sales at state retail outlets will collapse. “
On Sunday, protesters marched down one of Minsk’s main avenues, where factories and factories are located, and chanted “Strike!”And “They’re with the people!”
The city centre was blocked by water cannons and armored vehicles, and dozens of army trucks were seen driving through the streets. Several metro stations were closed and the cellular internet did not work in the walking area.
“Lukashenko understands that if it hadn’t been for all those synthetic obstacles, all of Minsk would have come out (to manifest itself),” said Valery Karbalevich, an independent political analyst in Minsk.
“Despite threats of weapons use and intimidation through the KGB (BelarusIan State Security Committee), others are take to the streets; the protests are not over and this shows that the political crisis in Belarus is in full swing,” Karbalevich said.
On Sunday, Tsikhanouskaya encouraged Belarusians to continue nonviolent protests.
“Let’s continue with our demands peacefully and persistently, this is working,” he said, adding that the government had released Ilya Salei, the lawyer of Tsikhanouskaya’s main associate, Maria Kolesnikova, from her arrest.
Kolesnikova was imprisoned last month for endangering state security, which could result in a five-year criminal sentence if convicted. Salei also arrested in September on the same charge.
In addition to Minsk, Sunday’s protests took place in several primary cities, Brest, Grodno, Gomel and Vitebsk. Dozens of protesters were arrested across the country: the list of detained protesters released via the road on Sunday night included more than 150 names.
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