Belarus: Nearly 100 Nearly people detained during anti-govt protests in Minsk

As many as 100 people have been detained for attending unauthorized anti-government demonstrations in the capital city of Belarus, Police Department of Minsk City Executive Committee said on December 20. Thousands of people, mostly on Sundays, coalesce together demanding the overthrow of ‘elected’ President Alexander Lukashenko, who has been ruling the country for the past 26 years. Demonstrations in Belarus have now entered their fourth month with pepper sprays and detentions becoming a regular sight.

Read: Tsikhanouskaya Calls For EU Support For Belarus

'Warning' 

“Today, on December 20, scattered groups of citizens attempted to gather in different parts of the capital city marking themselves with unregistered symbols and placards containing various calls,” a spokeswoman for Minsk police said.

The police said that the demonstrators were “repeatedly warned” about the inadmissibility of unlawful actions, but they continued to protest. They added that all the detained individuals were currently being investigated in line with the law. Lukashenko has been facing mass protests and numerous accusations since the results of the Presidential vote were first announced. The elections, which were held on August 9, saw a competition between Alexander Lukashenko, who was contesting for a sixth term and Svetlana Tikhanouskaya, who joined the race after her husband was jailed.

Read: Belarus Opposition Wins Rights Prize, Urges EU To Be Braver

Belarusians, who were already wary of the country's deteriorating economy and Lukashenko's repression of the opposition coalesced in and around the capital city of Minsk to show their opposition to the leader. The protests snowballed and hundreds of thousands of residents took to streets to oppose the draconian leader. However, Lukashenko engaged in a robust crackdown of the protests and deployed violent methods to curb the protests. Not only did he exiled and thwarted the opposition leaders but also asked his long time ally Vladimir Putin to interfere if protests escalated.

With time the pattern of protests has changed with mass protests in the Centre of Minsk becoming an obsolete and new form of scattered protests taking its position. The date and venue of the demonstrations are usually circulated on Opposition backed Telegram channels. Despite the 24-hour police surveillance, the number of demonstrators is only increasing. 

Read: About 100 Anti-govt Protesters Detained In Belarus Capital

Read: Belarus Opposition Wins Rights Prize, Urges EU To Be Braver

(With inputs from ANI)