Belarus: new massive mobilization of the opposition despite the police response

Belarusians again responded en masse on Sunday to the opposition's call to march through the streets of Minsk against President Alexander Lukashenko, despite the impressive deployment of law enforcement and army forces in the capital.

More than 100,000 demonstrators

More than 100,000 people joined the city center in processions before meeting in front of the Independence Palace, seat of the presidency, according to journalists who believe that the crowd was even larger than on previous Sundays.

The 66-year-old head of state, in power for 26 years and whose re-election on August 9 is contested, continues to exclude any dialogue and seeks the support of Moscow. 

Sometimes to the sound of drums, always draped in the red and white colors of the opposition, the demonstrators left at the beginning of the afternoon from the various districts of Minsk to meet gradually, shouting slogans like "Tribunal!"

or "How much are they paying you?"

for the police.

"Despite the rain and pressure from the authorities, despite the crackdown, many more people have come to Minsk than last Sunday," a major opposition figure, Maria Kolesnikova, told AFP: "I am convinced that the protests will continue until we win ".

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About 250 arrests across the country

Like last week, the police had been deployed en masse, with the army and armored vehicles around strategic buildings.

Metro stations were closed with barriers and barbed wire.

Around 250 people have been arrested in the country, including nearly 175 in Minsk, according to the NGO Viasna.

The spokesperson for the Interior Ministry declined to confirm such figures.

In the early evening, as demonstrators gradually evacuated the vicinity of the Independence Palace, images showed hooded men in civilian clothes and armed with batons circulating in the city center chasing demonstrators.

Other demonstrations took place in many cities of the country, in particular in Grodno (west) or Brest (west) where arrests took place.

"Why is the legally elected president a refugee abroad?" Asked Nikolai Diatlov, a 32-year-old bank employee, referring to opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, who found refuge in Lithuania under pressure. after the election.

"I was shocked by the detention and beatings of peaceful citizens (...) I am for new elections because none of my friends voted for Lukashenko", declared for his part Nikita Sazanovich, 28 years.