Sunday, August 16, in the Belarusian capital there were two large-scale actions. In the center of Minsk gathered supporters of Alexander Lukashenko. The President of Belarus came to them and delivered a speech, saying that the people deserve to he stood before them on his knees. Later disagree with Lukashenko’s victory in the elections held a protest in Minsk and other cities of the country. The demonstrations were peaceful. In the capital, according to the interior Ministry, there were no arrests.
Sunday, August 16, in Minsk held a protest rally. As the correspondent of RIA Novosti news Agency, the demonstrators gathered near the Stela “Minsk — hero city” and occupied adjacent squares and adjacent segments of prospectuses of Winners and Masherova. Later the protesters moved from the stele to the city center and walked to Independence square.
Thus, according to TASS, the participants blocked the traffic on the avenues, although some took the dividing strip. The Agency said that by 19:00, the demonstrators started to disperse, the event was peaceful.
Later the official representative of the interior Ministry of Belarus Olga Chemodanova reported that during the campaign, law enforcement has not made a single arrest.
“currently, information on arrests in Minsk is not available. The action took place without incident. The order was provided”, — quotes Chemodanova Sputnik of Belarus.
Protests were also held in several other cities of the Republic. In Brest, local residents during the meeting with the mayor Alexander Rogacka demanded the resignation of the city authorities and law-enforcement leaders, as well as the release of detainees at the meetings. In addition, people took to the streets in Grodno.
Olga Chemodanova previously stated that the Agency does not give estimates of the number of protesters in Minsk.
“People arrive, they go from different streets, and it is very difficult to estimate their number. In any case, it is inferred, inaccurate,” — said the press-Secretary of the Ministry of internal Affairs of Belarus.
At the same time, according to local media reports, near the stele were about 220 thousand people.
Olga Chemodanova added that it is unknown the timing of the release from detention of all those detained during unauthorized mass actions.
“In the last days people released. But there are those who are serving administrative arrest by a court decision”, — quotes its TASS statement.
Meanwhile, the head of the interior Ministry Yury Karaeu said that protests in the country are financed from abroad. According to him, participating in demonstrations, young people supposedly receive 30 rubles (about 900 rubles), girls — 60 (about 1.8 thousand Russian). The Minister said that young people “use the face-down, control their consciousness and subconscious.”
In addition, he said that the police did not use lethal weapons during the suppression of protests, and promised to investigate all cases of violence and abuse of power by the security forces.
“the Escalation was on both sides. When knock their guys, composure begins to change. That’s too bad, I’m against it. It should not be. All cases will be dealt with. Not now, but when everything calms down,” — said the head of Department.
He also commented on the death in the Minsk demonstrators Alexander Tarnovskogo and admitted that it could fire non-lethal weapons.
In turn, a supporter of former candidate presidents of Belarus Svetlana Tikhanovski Maria Kolesnikova said that the Belarusian opposition is going to apply to the court to initiate criminal proceedings against law enforcement bodies on the facts of violence to disperse protests.
“Tomorrow we are applying for criminal case on the fact of death, all the facts of the abuse of people, on all facts of illegal actions of law enforcement. All who have used violence must be held accountable according to the law of Belarus”, — she said.
Meanwhile, about 300 people have also gathered at a building of Embassy of Belarus in Moscow. Those wishing to Express support for the citizens of the Republic came with flowers and white-red-white flags.
Earlier, on Sunday in Minsk there has passed meeting of supporters of the incumbent President Alexander Lukashenko. According to the interior Ministry, the event was attended not less than 65 thousand people. Arriving to the event the head of state, speaking to citizens, ruled out the possibility of re-election, saying that in this case Belarus “will die as a state”. He also said that NATO troops “clang caterpillars” at the Western borders of Belarus, has promised it will not allow to give the country, “even if it is dead,” and added that those who attended the meeting in support of people deserve to he stood before them on his knees.
Protests in Belarus began on August 9 after voting in the presidential elections and the announcement of the preliminary results. A week on the streets of the country come the demonstrators, dissatisfied with the victory of Alexander Lukashenko. In the early days of the campaign were suppressed by security forces who used tear gas, water cannons, stun grenades and rubber bullets. The demonstrators in turn were thrown at security forces fireworks, stones and Molotov cocktails. Subsequently, the protests were held peacefully, the information about the clashes did not appear.
