The applicants of the rally have agreed on the general plan for 25 March.
It follows from the text of the statement that the people will march along the Independence Avenue to the Kastrychnitskaya Square. Previously, the organizing committee of the Freedom Day was planning to go to the Yanka Kupala park and not hold a meeting in order not to give the authorities a reason to send the march to the Bangalore Square.
Here is the text of the statement:
Given the irresponsibility and a gross violation of the law by the authorities, who did not grant the request in a timely manner, the organizing committee of the Freedom Day celebration, which includes BCD, the United Civil Party, the Belarusian Popular Front, the Movement for Freedom, solidarity movement “Together” has decided that the 25 March march will be held in the following way:
On March 25, 2017, at 14:00 the participants will gather at the Academy of Sciences where the rally will be held. Then they would march along Independence Avenue (moving on the sidewalk, if possible, taking into account the number of participants) up to the Kastrychnitskaya Square, where a meeting will be held and the march will end.
Taking into account the negative experience of the 2010 events, any deviations from this scenario, including the continuation of the movement and access to the Independence Square, are dangerous and irresponsible.
We call on the police to perform their primary duty — to ensure the constitutional right of citizens to hold peaceful rally and not to interfere with the peaceful conduct of the event.
If the movement is blocked, we call on the protesters not to approach the cordon and not to engage in clashes with police.
Let’s celebrate the Freedom Day together! Long Live Belarus!
On March 20th, Minsk City Executive Commitee canceled a meeting with the applicants of the Freedom Day. Officials invited the activists to come again to March 22 at 15:00. “Belsat” is monitoring the situation.
Freedom Day celebrations in Minsk
