MINSK: Belarusians came out in their thousands and staged a peaceful new marchon Sunday, keeping pressure on strongman Alexander Lukashenko. He has refused to quit after his disputed re-election and turned to Russia for help to stay in power.
Holding red-and-white flags and placards, protesters, including many students, took to the streets of Minsk despite authorities mounting a massive show of force and detaining some demonstrators.
Troops, water cannon, armoured personnel carriers and armoured reconnaissance vehicles were deployed to the city centre ahead of the march and metro stations in Minsk’s centre were closed.
Unprecedented protests broke out after Lukashenko, who has ruled the former Soviet nation for 26 years, claimed re-election with 80 per cent of the vote on 9 August.
Arrests
Opposition rival Svetlana Tikhanovskaya says she has won the vote but Lukashenko’s security forces have arrested thousands of protesters, many of whom accused police of beatings and torture.
Belarusians have been demonstrating across the country for nearly a month, with more than 100,000 people flooding the streets of Minsk, for three straight weekends. Dozens of people, including student protesters and journalists covering rallies, were arrested this week.
On Saturday, about 4,000 people took to the streets and more than 90 people were arrested, the interior ministry said.