Chernobyl Way is held in Minsk (Online report)

A protest rally Chernobyl Way is held in Minsk today. It is dedicated to the date of Chernobyl nuclear power plant disaster.

Participants of the Chernobyl Way are gathering at 6 p.m. near the Academy of Sciences. Then a march along Independence Avenue and Surhanay Street towards Nations' Friendship Park is planned. The main demands of demonstrators are not to conceal the consequences of the Chernobul catastrophe at the state level, to return benefits and allowances to liquidators and persons affected by the disaster, not to build a nuclear power plant in Belarus. The rally is sanctioned by Minsk city executive committee.

Charter97.org website covers the rally online, follow our updates.

19.35

A paddy wagon made by Minsk Automobile Plant is moving along the column. Though the demonstrators follow the authorized by the Minsk city executive committee route, the militia doesn’t provide normal conditions for holding the action. The traffic militia doesn’t block the traffic on crossroads, but use riot militiamen to make people stop at every traffic lights. The column is approaching the Chernobyl chapel, where praying is planned. The Chernobyl Way rally is supposed to finish there.

7.25 p.m.

The column goes on along Surhanau Street. Some dwellers of the houses near which the protesters march, loweringwhite-red-white flags from thewir windows. Riot policemen continue to escort the column.

7.15 p.m.

People continue to walk down Surhanau Street in the same way, surrounded by riot policemen. It should be noted that riot policemen have combat boots on, they wear gloves with metal plates, and all of them have truncheons.

7.07 p.m.

At some parts of the road in Surhanau Street a crowd is provoked by police. People continue to march, squeezed by riot policemen from the both sides.

7:05 p.m.

The riot militia formed a corridor, through which the column moves along Surhanau Street. It’s not enough place to go on the pavement. The riot militia obviously tries to hinder people from walking on the traffic area. The participants of the demonstration are lodged between two chains of riot militiamen.

7 p.m.

At the crossing of Surhanau Street Independence Avenue is blocked by a line riot policemen. Protesters scan: "Long live Belarus!", "We believe! We can! We'll win!" Right in front of the line of riot policemen participants of the march turned to Surhanau Street. When they crossed the road, the car which were standing there honked as a sign of support and solidarity. Riot policemen started to move behind the demonstrators.

6:55 p.m.

The riot militiamen removed the metal fences. The column of demonstrators marches along Independence Avenue. The people at the front are carrying the Icon of Our Lady “Seeking of the Lost” and a memorial bell. Young people in masks with radiation hazard signs are carrying a big banner “Chernobyl Way”. The participants of the action hold national and European Belarus flags.

6.50 p.m.

A member of the Political Council of the United Civil Party, a human rights activist Liudmila Hraznova, addressing the meeting attracted attention of its participants to the situation with political prisoner Mikalai Autukhovich, who faces 20 years of imprisonment on factitious charges. The human rights activist called upon solidarity with the prisoner of conscience and struggle for his freedom. "A real political Chernobyl exists in Belarus today, and we must resolutely say "No!" to it," Liudmila Hraznova said.

6:47 p.m.

Dozens of flags of the European Belarus civil campaign are waving on the square. The number of demonstrators exceeds 1000 people. The demonstration goes on.

6.45 p.m.

An activist of Russian youth movement "Oborona" Alexandr Savelyev addressing the meeting, stated that 3 "Oborona" activists have been detained in Minsk today. They were seized by riot policemen near the office of the Belarusian Popular Front party, and their whereabouts are still unknown.

6:40 p.m.

Artist Alyaksei Marachkin, the leader of Pahonya association, addressed the mob. He said: “It is impossible to solve the problems of Chernobyl not solving political problems.” According to Marachkin, it is demonstrated by the conditions, under which the Chernobyl was is held today. “Having set up these black security gates near Academy of Science, the authorities showed that they want to turn the people into cattle. I am sure this insanity will end soon,” the artist said.

6.30 p.m.

Academician Ivan Nikitchanka addresses the meeting. He stated that the situation with radiation in Belarus is catastrophic, and now it is much worse than in 1986. As said by him, radiation was carried away all over Belarus by technogenic way. In Minsk, for instance, every third resident is a carrier of a chronic dose of radiation. As said by the Academician, Belarusian scientists and public leaders many timed appealed to the authorities with a demand to change the concept of radiation security, to recognise that any dose of radiation is dangerous for human health, to stop settling people in contaminated regions, and return all the benefits and allowances to people affected by the catastrophe at Chernobyl nuclear power plant. However, as noted by Nikitchanka, there was no reaction to these appeals from the authorities.

6:20 p.m.

Co-chairmen of the BCD party Alyaksei Shein and Vital Rymasheuski addressed the demonstrators. They said the Belarusian authorities do not give due attention to the Chernobyl disaster consequences. According to them, the state of the nation’s health is catastrophic, but instead of solving this issue, the authorities inhabit the contaminated districts and plan to construct a nuclear power station in the country. The politicians announced forming a new civil campaign under the title “For Defense of the Belarusians from Chernobyl” and called the people present to join it.

6.15 p.m.

A well-known Belarusian singer and songwriter Andrei Melnikau sings songs dedciated to Chernobyl nuclear power plant disaster. At the moment about 1000 persons have gathered at the spot near the Academy of Sciences. National flags and flags of the European Union are above them. Several hundreds of people are observing the rally from behind the barriers around the place of the rally.

6:10 p.m.

The militia banned to take sound amplifying equipment to Academy of Science. The participants of the rally will have to address the demonstrators through a megaphone.

6.05 p.m.

At the moment on the spot near the Academy of Science there are several hundreds of people, white-red-white flags are fluttering. Many people are standing near barriers, they are simply frigheteed by the complexity of the procedure of entering the place where the rally is held. It is obvious that these barriers and body searches were invented by the authorities in order to ward off potential participants of the rally.

6:00 p.m.

Everyone passing through check points is searched by metal detectors, bags and briefcases are also being checked. An elderly woman, searched by the riot militia, said “even fascists didn’t search in such a way”.

5:55 p.m.

The square in front of Academy of Science is equipped with security gates and gateway metal detectors. The riot militia armed with clubs search every participant of the Chernobyl Way rally for arms and explosive devices.