Entrepreneurs to take to streets on January 21 at noon

On January 21 at noon small businessmen are to gather of October Square. This time they plan to protest not only against the discriminatory decree No. 760, but as a response to unjustifiably cruel reaction of the regime to the protest rally on January 10. It has been told to the Charter’97 press-center by the leader of the campaign “For Free Development of Enterprise” Viktar Harbachou.

As said by him, “on January 10 people who gathered on October Square hoped to hear some comprehensible arguments of the regime concerning such unshakable position on the Decree No. 760, or at least an answer to the question how people should live in the new conditions. But the regime answered with repressions, arrests of entrepreneurs’ movement leaders, threats of liquidation of entrepreneurs’ organizations. That is why a decision accepted by people on the square has been confirmed today. On January 21 at noon we are to gather on October Square,” Viktar Harbachou said.

He has informed that protest rallies are to be held in the regions on that day as well. “When most of the leaders are absent, as they are imprisoned, regional structures started to take the lead at the local level and make decisions to take part in protest rallies and to continue the strike. In a number of places the strike is to continue until all participants are freed,” Viktar Harbachou said.

The leader of entrepreneurs has confirmed the reports that since February 1 the strike of entrepreneurs is to continue. “Now some people on strike have expressed an intention to work for a week or two. But this decision is to be taken at the level of regional structures, and sometimes by each one personally. Earlier we spoke about a two-week strike, from January 1 to January 15. However now we have agreed to continue the strike, which is to become indefinite, if nothing would change in the position of the regime,” Harbachou underlined.

He stressed that a week passed after the protest on January 10, and entrepreneurs have heard nothing concrete about their future from the authorities, they have been told nothing but uncomplimentary statements about them. That is why they have nothing else to do but to push for their rights by protest rallies. “We haven’t been answered for the question how the state would solve this problem. Maybe we shall find it out on January 21,” Viktar Harbachou said.

The leader of the campaign “For Free Development of Enterprise” has noted that this time people are set to demand not only moratorium on the discriminatory decree No. 760, which almost totally destroys small business in the country, but to protest against repressions of the regime against activists of the entrepreneurs’ movement, against violations of rights and freedoms in the country.

It will be the third protest rally of entrepreneurs over the last three months. Rallies held on December 10 and January 10 ended in arrests of leaders of the entrepreneurs’ movement. And 23 persons were arrested on January 10. Most of them were brutally beaten up by riot policemen during the arrest or in paddy wagons on their way to police department.