Ahead of Freedom Day: Riot police armed with submachine guns in Minsk (video)


The riot police (OMON) armed with submachine guns are patrolling the streets of the Belarusian capital.

The situation is ‘tense’ in Minsk, the Belarusian Interior Ministry told journalists.

Riot policemen are armed with German Heckler & Koch MP5 submachine guns. Soldiers carrying such guns have been also spotted in Kastrychnitskaya Square; in contrast to OMON, they are dressed in black uniforms.

In February-March, there has been an eruption of protesting the so-called tax on idlers in Belarus. Hundreds of Belarusians have been detained, fined, jailed after recent non-parasite marches. Most of them were accused of violating the order of holding mass events and disobedience to police officers’ demands. It should be noted that plainclothes policemen who refuse to show their IDs a or introduce themselves often beat people and prevented journalists from performing their professional duties.

Freedom Day (Dzień Voli) is an unofficial holiday in Belarus, which is celebrated on March 25 to commemorate the creation on that date in 1918 of the Belarusian People’s Republic (BNR). It came into existence at the end of the First World War, when Bolshevik forces left Minsk and the city was occupied by German troops. On March 25, 1918 the Provisional Government (Rada) proclaimed the independence of the BNR. After the Red Army re-entered Minsk, the Communist government replaced the Rada; its members had to emigrate. The current regime denies Freedom Day and often prevents the opposition forces from celebrating it.

Belsat.eu

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