The Belarusian initiative “Food Not Bombs” has announced on Instagram that it was temporarily suspending its activities.
“It is clear that the concept of ‘temporary’ is ephemeral, and we do not have exact dates, and they will not appear soon. We were pushed to take this step by certain events that happened to male and female members earlier, personal motives, and the realization that we cannot exist now as ‘Food Not Bombs’ while our half-measures are dancing to the tune of the regime, which will sooner or later end with the persecution of activists for their political position,” stated the activists.
They promise to continue to stand up for their principles, but not with “Food Not Bombs.”
“Don’t forget that food is a right, not a privilege!” representatives of the initiative noted.
For almost 17 years, members of the initiative have been feeding the homeless every weekend. At the same time, they were subjected to pressure from the police because of the political context of their activities. On January 23, 2021, seven people from the initiative, who were distributing food, were taken to the police department. Five of them were arrested for 15 days.
