Why be afraid of own people?

On 17 May Alyaksandr Lukashenka visited indoor ice rink in Minsk Gorky park to play hockey. On this occasion a part of park, where the ice rink is situated, was encircled by dozens of riot militia officers. All people, having rest with their children, were asked to leave the territory.

As journalist Iryna Khalip, who was walking with her kid their, told to the Charter’97 press center, she just wanted to come by the ice rink to leave the park through the gate opening to Pershamaiskaya Street. The woman with her little kid weren’t allowed to do it. The journalist was surrounded by about ten riot militiamen, who forced her out of the cordoned off territory.

The same was applied to other indignant Minsk dwellers, lots of whom came to the park on weekend. Riot militiamen told to all people Alyaksandr Lukashenka had come to play hockey in the ice rink.