The fears of many observers about post-presidential violence in Belarus appeared to be justified. Police forcibly dispersed crowds of demonstrators in Minsk on Sunday evening after the ballot between Alexander Lukashenko, widely in the lead, and an unexpected rival, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya. Opposition rallies also took place, according to local media, in provincial towns including Brest, Pinsk, Gomel and Grodno.
Stun grenades
Shortly after the announcement of an official poll giving nearly 80% of the incumbent president, in power since 1994, detractors of the regime gathered by the thousands in various places of the capital. The authorities, for their part, have deployed a major riot control system. The police said they had used "special equipment" to disperse the gatherings, including stun grenades, and made arrests, without specifying the number, "events being ongoing".
The Interior Ministry assured to have the "situation under control", while several media, including radio funded by the United States RFE / RL, reported the use of rubber bullets. They released footage of injured protesters, blood streaming from their faces. Alexandre, a 35-year-old protester who took part in clashes with the police, said he protested against the “total falsification” of the elections. "It is a crime and a humiliation of the people", according to him.
Lukashenko wants neither "loss of control" nor "chaos"
An AFP journalist heard the explosion of stun grenades near the Stella monument in the capital and saw the police, equipped with shields, heading towards protesters. Protesters were seen shouting at police officers, while others waved flags symbolizing opposition in front of police cordon barring axes of Minsk. Ales Bialiatski, head of the human rights NGO Viasna, also denounced the “disproportionate” use of force by the police.
By putting his ballot in the ballot box earlier Sunday, Alexander Lukashenko had promised that there would be no "loss of control" or "chaos" in the country. By deploying his police, the president shows that he intends to take his country and not allow the opposition to question his power. In this context, many fear that the repression will increase. “Knowing the ruthless nature of Lukashenko, anyone interested in Belarus will be worried about the Belarusian people in the coming days,” said Nigel Gould-Davies, analyst at the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) and former British ambassador in Minsk.
The country has not organized a free ballot since 1995. On several occasions, demonstrations have been bluntly put down. The 2020 election does not seem, for the moment, to presage a change.
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