Minsk city authorities have given permission to the opposition forces to hold an annual Freedom Day rally on 25 March.
Only the scheduled start of the march was not approved. Initiators of the rally wanted to gather in front of the Kastrychnik cinema at 17:00 and they were only allowed to do it at 15:00.
According to the opposition politicians, the refusal to approve the initial time was intentional and shows fear and prudence of the local officials.
– Because on a normal working day, only a small number of people can leave work for the march, said Maryna Khomich, a spokesman for the BCD.
Her party colleague, Vital Rymashevski describes the situation even more explicitly:
– Such response is a de facto ban, since 90% of people will not be able to get to the rally. This response shows fear of all kinds of mass rallies and violation of the right to freedom of assembly. This panic reaction has to do with extensive promo campaign in social networks.
Incidentally, according to the press service of the BCD party organizing committee, it is also forbidden to use ‘banned slogans and unregistered symbols’ at the march, Charter 97 reports.
bielsat.pl, telegraf.by
