In Minsk on Sunday, many thousands of people took to the protest march on the city’s main street, Independence Avenue, demanding the resignation of Belarusian authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko.
The demonstration, entitled “The March of the New Belarus”, began in Independence Square near the Government House and went to the hotel “Planet”, where a rally is planned. However, some of the protesters walked along the Winners’ Avenue to the State Flag Square. However, as they approached the Independence Palace, where Lukashenko’s working residence is located, the further road along the Victory Avenue and access to the Independence Castle was immediately blocked by the Omani.
However, some of the protesters walked along the Winners’ Avenue to the State Flag Square. However, as they approached the Independence Palace, where Lukashenko’s working residence is located, the further road along the Victory Avenue and access to the Independence Castle was immediately blocked by the Omani, who also surrounded the State Flag Square. There are also two armored personnel carriers near the Independence Castle. Shortly afterwards, a helicopter landed at Independence Castle. The footage shown by the TV channel “Dozhj” shows that Lukashenko gets out of it with a Kalashnikov machine in his hand and goes to the castle.
The marchers stopped several tens of meters from the Omani chain and chanted slogans against the Lukashenko regime. Then they went back to Victory Square.
The march has not been sanctioned by the authorities and the militia has intensified in the center of Minsk. From the loudspeakers located in the buildings surrounding the Planet Hotel, calls are scattered, warning that otherwise force may be used.
Prior to that, the marchers gathered in Independence Square, where a moment of silence commemorated the protesters who lost their lives this month when the militia used force against the protesters.
People went to Independence Square in larger and smaller columns from the city districts. Many protesters from other parts of Belarus have also arrived in Minsk.
The Belarusian Ministry of Defense warned on Sunday that the army would protect the memorial sites of the Soviet side of the Second World War. Dozens of soldiers are stationed at the stall in Victory Square. The soldiers also besieged the Museum of the Great Patriotic War, opposite which is the hotel “Plaņeta”, where a rally is planned.
People are also holding protests in other Belarusian cities, including Baranovichi, Brest, Gomel, Grodno, Kobrin, Lida, Mogilev. Mozyr, Pinsk, Soligorsk, Vitebsk, Zhlobin.
This is the second mass march in Minsk, demanding the resignation of Lukashenko. Several hundred thousand people also took part in the first march last Sunday.
Protests against the falsification of the August 9 presidential election and authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko, who have often escalated into protesters’ clashes with security forces, remain unabated in Belarus. Thousands have been detained and several hundred injured in protests. Workers in many state-owned enterprises are on strike.
According to official results, Lukashenko, who has been in power since 1994, won 80.1% of the vote, while opposition candidate Svetlana Tikhanovska won 10.1%, but the opposition believes the election results are fake and Tikhanovska has won the election. European Union countries do not recognize election results.
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Earlier, the opposition website “Charter 97” reported that about 70,000 people had gathered in Independence Square near the Government House.
From a loudspeaker on the roof of a building near the square, people were asked to disperse because the protest was not sanctioned.
People in larger and smaller columns go to the center of the city districts. Their participants chant “Go away!”, “Long live Belarus!” (“Žive Belarusj!”) And other slogans.
Increased militia forces, including cars carrying detainees, are also heading for the center of Minsk.
People are also gathering for protests in other Belarusian cities, including Baranovichi, Brest, Gomel, Grodno, Lida, Mogilev. In Mozira, Pinsk, Vitebsk, Zhlobin. In Brest, a column of catering workers walked along one of the streets of the city, shouting: “A new chef!”
It has already been reported that the second mass march on the main street in Minsk on Independence Avenue is planned for Sunday, demanding the resignation of Lukashenko and holding new elections. Several hundred thousand people took part in the first march last Sunday.
Protests against the falsification of the August 9 presidential election and authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko, who have often escalated into protesters’ clashes with security forces, remain unabated in Belarus. Thousands have been detained and several hundred injured in protests. Workers in many state-owned enterprises are on strike.
According to official results, Lukashenko, who has been in power since 1994, won 80.1% of the vote, while opposition candidate Svetlana Tikhanovska won 10.1%, but the opposition believes the election results are fake and Tikhanovska has won the election. European Union countries do not recognize election results.
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