Independence Day non grata: Protesters in Minsk splashed with water


On Wednesday Belarusian NGO Young Front has held a rally in downtown Minsk. It was dedicated to the 26th anniversary of adopting the Declaration of Sovereignty of Belarus.

About 30 people gathered together near the Minsk hotel in Independence Square. Most of them held white-red-white flags and handed out white-red-white ribbons to passers-by. The hotel staff tried to prevent them from giving the ribbons to guests from Lithuania

Among others, former political prisoners Zmitser Dashkevich and Paval Vinahradau, social activists Volha Nikalaichyk and Maxim Vinyarski were participating in the action.

 [/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”259467″ img_size=”large”][vc_column_text]Belarusian activists showed white-red-white flags in honor of the anniversary of adopting the Declaration of Sovereignty of Belarus[/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”259447″ img_size=”large”][vc_column_text]Activists on Independence Avenue[/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”259443″ img_size=”large”][vc_column_text]Younger Belarusians with flags[/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”259479″ img_size=”large”][vc_column_text]White-red-white symbols[/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”259459″ img_size=”large”][vc_column_text]Activists handed over white-red-white ribbons to passers-by[/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”259455″ img_size=”large”][vc_column_text]hoisting a white-red-white flag is a crime in present-day Belarus[/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”259495″ img_size=”large”][vc_column_text]Drawing up protocols on people who remember when the Independence Day is to be celebrated.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Photo report:

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The rally began at 8:30. However, even before the participants’ showing up, Minsk police started to draw up administrative offence protocols upon them. In response, the representatives of Young Front said they did not understand the Russian language and asked the policemen to address them in Belarusian.

At 8:50 a street sweeper arrived at the square; its driver started watering the flowers in pots attached to the lampposts. The water was also falling on the ralliers. It lasted about 10 minutes.

A significant number of law enforcement officers in civvies, incliuding Minsk police bosses Alyaksandr Barsukou and Maxim Hryshchanka, were observing the action.

The official Independence day is celebrated on July 3, on the day of liberation of the Belarusian capital from German invaders. Such decision was taken by the republican referendum held in1996. Earlier the Independence day had been commemorated on July 27, its celebration being coincided with the day of passing the Declaration of Sovereignty of the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic in 1990.

Belsat.eu, following naviny.by

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