Sunday’s protest against terror: Belarusians marching to Kurapaty (photos)
01.11.202011:21
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Today’s protest march ‘Dzyady Against Terror’ is dedicated to the Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Stalinist Repressions. It kicked off at 2 pm (local time). The participants are also showing their discontent with the rigged presidential election and police violence throughout the country.
Minsk-based protesters announced attending Kurapaty, a Stalin-era mass execution site in the forest on the outskirts of the Belarusian capital. It should be noted that Belarusians mark the Day of All Souls (Dzyady) on November 2. On its eve, believers usually go to the cemeteries to say a prayer and light candles in memory of their dead.
32 years ago, on 30 October 1988, Minskers staged a march to Kurapaty, where Stalin’s secret police NKVD killed thousands of people in the 1930s. According to various estimates, 30,000 – 250,000 might have been shot down and buried there in 1937-1941.
On Sunday afternoon, mobile Internet slowed down in Minsk; several metro stations were closed off.
People started gathering at Park Chalyuskintsau and other locations in the north-east of the city; then they were forming columns and marching in the direction of Kurapaty. However, siloviki repeatedly blocked the roads, barring the participants from moving further. Although pro-government troops detained and battered protesters, fired in the air, used tear gas and blew flashbang grenades to disperse them, some groups of people managed to reach Kurapaty Forest and hold a rally there.
As of 11.30 pm, there are 272 persons detained on Sunday across the country, mainly in Minsk, human rights centre Viasna reports.
Маrch Against Terror in Minsk. 1 November 2020.
Photo: ТК / belsat.eu
Маrch Against Terror in Minsk. 1 November 2020.
Photo: ТК / belsat.eu
Маrch Against Terror in Minsk. 1 November 2020.
Photo: ТК / belsat.eu
Маrch Against Terror in Minsk. 1 November 2020.
Photo: ТК / belsat.eu
Маrch Against Terror in Minsk. 1 November 2020.
Photo: ТК / belsat.eu
Маrch Against Terror in Minsk. 1 November 2020.
Photo: ТК / belsat.eu
Маrch Against Terror in Minsk. 1 November 2020.
Photo: ТК / belsat.eu
Policeman (?) pointing gun at woman. Маrch Against Terror in Minsk. 1 November 2020.
Photo: belsat.eu
Маrch Against Terror in Minsk. 1 November 2020.
Photo: ТК / belsat.eu
Маrch Against Terror in Minsk. 1 November 2020.
Photo: ТК / belsat.eu
Маrch Against Terror in Minsk. 1 November 2020.
Photo: ТК / belsat.eu
Маrch Against Terror in Minsk. 1 November 2020.
Photo: ТК / belsat.eu
Маrch Against Terror in Minsk. 1 November 2020.
Photo: ТК / belsat.eu
Маrch Against Terror in Minsk. 1 November 2020.
Photo: ТК / belsat.eu
Маrch Against Terror in Minsk. 1 November 2020.
Photo: ТК / belsat.eu
ММаrch Against Terror in Minsk. 1 November 2020.
Photo: ТК / belsat.eu
Маrch Against Terror in Minsk. 1 November 2020.
Photo: ТК / belsat.eu
Маrch Against Terror in Minsk. 1 November 2020.
Photo: ТК / belsat.eu
Маrch Against Terror in Minsk. 1 November 2020.
Photo: ТК / belsat.eu
Маrch Against Terror in Minsk. 1 November 2020.
Photo: ТК / belsat.eu
Маrch Against Terror in Minsk. 1 November 2020.
Photo: ТК / belsat.eu
Маrch Against Terror in Minsk. 1 November 2020.
Photo: ТК / belsat.eu
Маrch Against Terror in Minsk. 1 November 2020.
Photo: ТК / belsat.eu
Маrch Against Terror in Minsk. 1 November 2020.
Photo: ТК / belsat.eu
Маrch Against Terror in Minsk. 1 November 2020.
Photo: ТК / belsat.eu
Маrch Against Terror in Minsk. 1 November 2020.
Photo: ТК / belsat.eu
Маrch Against Terror in Minsk. 1 November 2020.
Photo: ТК / belsat.eu
Маrch Against Terror in Minsk. 1 November 2020.
Photo: ТК / belsat.eu
‘Маrch Against Terror in Minsk. 1 November 2020.
Photo: ТК / belsat.eu
Маrch Against Terror in Minsk. 1 November 2020.
Photo: ТК / belsat.eu
Маrch Against Terror in Minsk. 1 November 2020.
Photo: ТК / belsat.eu
Маrch Against Terror in Minsk. 1 November 2020.
Photo: ТК / belsat.eu
Маrch Against Terror in Minsk. 1 November 2020.
Photo: ТК / belsat.eu
Маrch Against Terror in Minsk. 1 November 2020.
Photo: ТК / belsat.eu
Маrch Against Terror in Minsk. 1 November 2020.
Photo: ТК / belsat.eu
Маrch Against Terror in Minsk. 1 November 2020.
Photo: ТК / belsat.eu
Маrch Against Terror in Minsk. 1 November 2020.
Photo: ТК / belsat.eu
Маrch Against Terror in Minsk. 1 November 2020.
Photo: ТК / belsat.eu
Маrch Against Terror in Minsk. 1 November 2020.
Photo: ТК / belsat.eu
Маrch Against Terror in Minsk. 1 November 2020.
Photo: belsat.eu
Маrch Against Terror in Minsk. 1 November 2020.
Photo: ТК / belsat.eu
Маrch Against Terror in Minsk. 1 November 2020.
Photo: ТК / belsat.eu
Маrch Against Terror in Minsk. 1 November 2020.
Photo: ТК / belsat.eu
Маrch Against Terror in Minsk. 1 November 2020.
Photo: ТК / belsat.eu
Маrch Against Terror in Minsk. 1 November 2020.
Photo: ТК / belsat.eu
Маrch Against Terror in Minsk. 1 November 2020.
Photo: ТК / belsat.eu
Kurapaty. Маrch Against Terror in Minsk. 1 November 2020.
Photo: ТК / belsat.eu
Kurapaty. Маrch Against Terror in Minsk. 1 November 2020.
Photo: ТК / belsat.eu
‘Junta ruling country’.Kurapaty. Маrch Against Terror in Minsk. 1 November 2020.
Photo: ТК / belsat.eu
Kurapaty. Маrch Against Terror in Minsk. 1 November 2020.
Photo: ТК / belsat.eu
Kurapaty. Маrch Against Terror in Minsk. 1 November 2020.
Photo: ТК / belsat.eu
Kurapaty. Маrch Against Terror in Minsk. 1 November 2020.
Photo: ТК / belsat.eu
Kurapaty. Маrch Against Terror in Minsk. 1 November 2020.
Photo: ТК / belsat.eu
Kurapaty. Маrch Against Terror in Minsk. 1 November 2020.
Photo: ТК / belsat.eu
Kurapaty. Маrch Against Terror in Minsk. 1 November 2020.
Photo: ТК / belsat.eu
Kurapaty. Маrch Against Terror in Minsk. 1 November 2020.
Photo: ТК / belsat.eu
‘We Won’t Forget!’ Kurapaty. Маrch Against Terror in Minsk. 1 November 2020.
Photo: ТК / belsat.eu
Kurapaty. Маrch Against Terror in Minsk. 1 November 2020.
Photo: ТК / belsat.eu
Kurapaty. Маrch Against Terror in Minsk. 1 November 2020.
Photo: ТК / belsat.eu
‘Mother of Belarusian revolution’ Nina Bahinskaya in Kurapaty. Маrch Against Terror in Minsk. 1 November 2020.
Photo: ТК / belsat.eu
Kurapaty. Маrch Against Terror in Minsk. 1 November 2020.
Photo: ТК / belsat.eu
Kurapaty. Маrch Against Terror in Minsk. 1 November 2020.
Photo: ТК / belsat.eu
Kurapaty. Маrch Against Terror in Minsk. 1 November 2020.
Photo: ТК / belsat.eu
Маrch Against Terror in Minsk. 1 November 2020.
Photo: ТК / belsat.eu
The protest rallies in Belarus have been underway for over two months. The major demands are Alyaksandr Lukashenka’s resignation, holding a free and fair election, releasing political prisoners, putting an end to police violence as well as state-run TV stations’ providing people with unbiased and reliable information. According to human rights activists’ estimates, more than 15,000 people have been detained in Belarus since the election day; many of them were beaten or tortured, some were raped. There are at least six death cases that are linked to the post-election protests. Over 350 persons are parties to criminal proceedings, the number of political prisoners exceeded 100.
