Demonstration against price rise banned in Mahilou

The Mahilou city executive committee did not permit holding a demonstration against price rise, inflation and deteriorating living standards.

The official reason was absence of a contact with police, medical and utility services, who must secure public order during mass events, Viasna Human Rights Centre reports.

Yury Novikau, leader of the democratic coalition in the Mahilou region, says organizers noted in the application that all contracts would be signed only after the rally was permitted.

“We do not have permission for the rally, so we do not have contracts,” Yury Novikau says. “If we go to police and say we want to hold a demonstration, they will ask if we have permission. But we do not have permission. In this case, they will refuse to sign a contract, because the rally is unauthorized. It is the vicious circle.”

Yury Novikau says the authorities just want to postpone protest moods in the town. The applicants are going to appeal against the ban in court.

We remind that 12 activists of political organizations and trade unions applied for a demonstration in Mahilou. Organizers planned to gather about 1000 demonstrators on June 9 and advise with them what can be done in the current unstable economic situation.