Protest in Belarus: new day of mobilization under pressure

Text by: RFI Follow

2 min

A new day of mobilization is planned in Belarus, while this Sunday marks the fifteenth day of demonstrations to denounce the results of the presidential election. Peaceful marches are announced across the country, including one to be held in Minsk, the capital, where a large turnout is expected. Demonstrations are banned by the authorities, which raises fears of strong repression from the police.

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It is a day of high tension that awaits Belarusians this Sunday. Major events are planned across the country, the main one being in Minsk, the capital. These demonstrations will take place in a climate of fear, the disputed president Alexandre Loukachenko did not hesitate to announce this Friday that he intended to "  solve the problem  " of the protest movement.

These marches are organized for the first time at the call of Svetlana Tikhanovskaya , the candidate who claims victory in the presidential election and who has fled to Lithuania for almost two weeks now.

“  They have to understand that we are not a protest movement . We are the people of Belarus, we are a majority and we will not leave. We are no longer afraid of them,  ”the opponent told Agence France Presse.

Still, the risks of repression are real. Alexander Lukashenko , who was on the move on Saturday at the Polish border, said he feared an invasion and ordered his Minister of Defense to take the strictest measures to defend the country's territorial integrity. According to him, this protest movement is driven from outside, or from abroad. These statements are not reassuring and raise fears of the worst for this fifteenth consecutive day of mobilization.

► To read also: Belarus: the power criminalizes the opposition and tries to regain control

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• Belarus
• Alexander Lukashenko

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