Belarus: new night of violence despite opponent Tikhanovskaya's call for calm

Third consecutive evening of violence, Tuesday, August 11, in the Belarusian capital Minsk, despite the appeal for calm by the opponent Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, who fled to Lithuania with her children, after the contested re-election Sunday of the outgoing president Alexander Lukashenko.

Security forces fired rubber bullets and stun grenades to disperse the thousands of demonstrators who again took to the streets to denounce what they see as a fraud by Alexander Lukashenko, in power since 1994.

A Reuters reporter saw security forces arrest dozens of people and beat up protesters in the streets. Security forces who also smashed car windows to force passengers out and attack them, another witness reported.

🔴 INFO - #Belorussia: Third day of demonstrations in Belarus after the cross-over re-election of Alexander #Loukachenko and the strange flight of his rival opponent Svetlana # Tikhanovskaïa. #Minsk #BelarusProtest pic.twitter.com/6y2MA9NPJZ

"Go away !"

At least two press photographers were assaulted and their cameras damaged. Horns sounded in the capital in solidarity with the opposition, while protesters chanted "Go away!"

The European Commission said on Tuesday that it was reviewing its relations with Belarus "because of the unfortunate events in connection with Sunday's presidential election."

In Vilnius, the Lithuanian government said that Svetlana Tikhanovskaya appeared to have been under pressure from Belarusian power. The 37-year-old ex-presidential candidate denied being forced to leave Belarus.

With Reuters

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