On January 16, the organizing committee has filed an application for holding a mass event to Minsk city executive committee.
The organizers believe that up to 30,000 people may appear at the celebration of 101st anniversary of the Belarusian People’s Republic (BNR), activist Eduard Palchys said on Facebook.
The main events are expected to be arranged on Sunday, March 24 The scenario includes marching from Kastrychnitskaya street to Dynamo Stadium, a rally and concert.
A fundraising campain in support of Freedom Day celebration has started on Belarusian crowdfunding platform Talaka.by.
“The public commemoration of the 101st anniversary of the proclamation of independence of the Belarusian People’s Republic, commonly known as Freedom Day, will be held under the slogan ‘Long Live Independent Belarus’. The event is aimed at the people’s lining up around the values of state sovereignty, the development and strengthening of the Belarusian nation, as well as calling the public attention to the heritage of the BNR and a pressing need for the national unity for the sake of the protection of the independence of Belarus,” the application reads.
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.
