Chernobyl Path: No to Astravets NPP, yes to economic, political reforms


Chernobyl Path-2017

Organizers of Chernobyl Path urge Belarusians not only to protest against the construction of a nuclear power plant in the country, but also to demand economic and political reforms on April, 26.

Opposition leaders believe that there will be a high turnout at the march in memory of Chernobyl disaster vistims.

The Minsk authorities agreed to move the beginning of the event from 14.00 to 18.00. Otherwise many people would have had no opportunity to to join the march as April 26 is a working day. However, the officials did not satisfy the request to authorize the proposed route – from Opera and Ballet House to Chernobyl chapel.

As reported earlier, on March 25 the Belarus riot police brutally dispersed a ‘non-parasite’ rally in Minsk. The protesters took to the streets to convey their deep outrage over the so-called tax on ‘spongers’ introduced by president Alyaksandr Lukashenka in 2015.

Should protesters be wary of a crackdown? “Unfortunately, it is unclear. Therefore, I will call on people to take into account legal requirements and keep in mind that the police may take any actions, ” says Yury Melyashkevich, one of the organizers.

The participants are expected to start gathering at 18.00  near the Kastrychnik cinema. They will march along part of Independence Avenue, Surganov and Arlouskaya streets to Bangalore Square, where a rally and laying flowers at the memorial ‘To the Victims of Chernobyl’ will take place.

The organisers are set to voice two main demands – putting an end to the construction of a nuclear power plant and introducing the program of reversing the effects of the Chernobyl tragedy. The main slogans of the event will be ‘No To Astravets NPP Construction’ and ‘No To Political, Social, Economic Chernobyl’. They also insist the authorities should carry out economic and political reforms and immediately release the defendants in the so-called case of patriots.

“This year’s Chernobyl Path is characterized by the fact that it takes place against the background of massive social protests;that is why every authorized is a chance to show that there are many hundred thousand dissenters in Belarus,” Vital Rymasheuski, a co-chairman of the Belarusian Christian Democracy, says.

Belsat TV will cover and livestream the event on April, 26.

belsat.eu

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