Freedom Day rally in Minsk (Online coverage, photo, video)

25.03.2012, 10:25

Independence of the Belarusian People's Republic was proclaimed on March 25 94 years ago.

The Belarusian authorities do not mark this date officially, but representatives of the Belarusian democratic community celebrate it as Freedom Day.

Public events on occasion of the Freedom Day will be held in Belarus and abroad. The Minks city executive committee permitted a rally on March 25.

Participants are invited to gather near the Academy of Science at 1:30 pm and walk along Surhanau Street to Bangalore Square, where a meeting and a concert is planned at 3:00 pm.

The Belarusian People's Republic (BNR) was proclaimed independent in Minsk in early hours of March 25, 1918. The idea of creating the BNR was proposed at the Belarusian National Compress in 1917. The Bolsheviks left Minsk after wrecking the peace negotiations and offensive of the German troops. In this situation representatives of the Central Belarusian Military Council and the executive committee of the Rada of the Belarusian National Congress announced themselves the interim authorities within the territory of the country until calling the constitutional Sojm (convention). On February 21, 1918 the Executive Committee of the Rada elected the first government of the BNR - the Council of the Belarusian People's Republic headed by Jazep Varonka.

The BNR Government applied much efforts to establish the national institutes. A decree on the state status of the Belarusian language was signed; Belarusian schools and colleges, educational centres, theatres and printed houses were opened; Belarusian newspapers were published. There were plans to open a national university in Minsk. BNR passports, including diplomatic ones, were introduced and the white-red-white flag and Chase court-of-arms were proclaimed the state symbols. Diplomatic missions of the BNR existed in a number of countries.

Due to a difficult military and political situation, the BNR Council failed to implement the idea of the state sovereignty of the country – it found itself defenceless in the face of Bolshevikc and Polish legions. The BNR Government had to emigrate in 1918.

12:00 pm

Cars with plainclothes law enforcement officers are waiting outside homes of the opposition activists. Some activists were detained in regions. Leanid Autukhou from Haradok, an activist of Tell the Truth campaign and head of the local branch of the BPF party, was detained on his way to Vitsebsk. Activist Yury Silkin was detained and guarded to a police station in Zhodzina. A car with European Belarus campaign activist Viktar Kalesnik and his friend was stopped and detained in Vitsebsk.

12:30 pm

Road police has a reinforced patrol at the intersection of Surhanau Street and Independence Avenue. Plainclothes road policemen stop drivers and check their documents. A road police minibus with policemen in uniform stands in the yards.

Police began to set crowd control barriers in the Peoples' Friendship Park near Bangalore Square.

12:55 pm

About 150 people came to the Academy of Science. Riot police officers are installing crowd control barriers.

1.30 pm

White-red-white flags are streaming in wind. There are many flags of “European Belarus”. About 400 persons have gathered near the Academy of Science.

1:25 pm

Metro trains do not stop at “the Academy of Science” station. One of organizers of the rally, Viktar Ivashkevich, told that today morning KGB officers tried to find their way into his apartment, but the politician left his house early, and secret officers have missed him.

1:30 pm

Persons with posters and slogans “Lukashenka is dead end”, “Where are my 500 dollars?”, “Freedom to political prisoners!”

1:32 pm

About 2000 participants of the rally have gathered. Part of them lined along the stairs of the Academy of Science with a streamer “Freedom to Sannikov!” The organizers of the rally announced that the march is to start at 2 p.m. Young Front members have brought posters “SHOS!” (Let him croak!), “Lukashenka, you gonna meet Gaddafi soon”.

1:50 pm

People have unfurled the streamer “Freedom to Bandarenka!” Young Front members have put on T-shirts with slogans: “Freedom to Dashkevich!” and “Freedom to Lobau!”

1:55 pm

The march started, more than 3,000 persons are taking part, there are many posters there.

As the press-service of the Belarusian Christian Democracy Party informs, policemen stopped a car with activists of the BCD near the Opera House. Printed materials, flags and a streamer for the Freedom Day were transported in the car. Policemen detained Vadzim Kabanchuk, other activists managed to escape.

2:09 pm

The demonstration starts. The deputy chief of Minsk police Ihar Yauseeu (Igor Evseev) and Khazalbek Atabekau, the commander of the special brigade of internal troops, who had been recently blacklisted by the EU, are ahead. But today he is in jeans, “Nasha Niva” reports.

The column started moving. It started raining cats and dogs.

2:14 pm

Alyaksei Marachkin, Vitaly Rymasheuski, Viktar Karnyayenka take part in the rally. Leader of For Freedom Movement Alyaksandr Milinkevich, Inna Kulei, leader of Fair World Party Syarhei Kalyakin, political prisoner Syarhei Kavalenka's wife Alena, Iryna Khalip's father Uladzimir Khalip, count Prushynski, presidential candidate Ryhor Kastusyou were noticed among demonstrators.

2:19 pm

A white-red-white flag was hung out from one of the balconies on Surhanau Street. The head of the column reached Yakub Kolas Street. People are walking on pavements. Public order is protected by police and volunteers.

2:25 pm

A car with sound amplifying equipment was not allowed to drive to Bangalore Square.

2:30 pm

The number of demonstrators is estimated at 5,000 people. People are chanting “Don't be cattle!” Activists of European Belarus campaign are furling flags near Riga shopping centre. They do not want to go to Bangalore Square.

2:50 pm

The column reached Bangalore Square. There are no metal detector gates. Policemen are checking some of participants with hand held metal detectors.

3:10 pm

The car with sound amplifying equipment was detained allegedly for a check. It was taken to the Savetski district police department. Speakers will have to use a megaphone.

3:20 pm

The meeting began. Uladzimir Kolas was the first speaker. Artist Alyaksei Marachkin read out the appeal from Chair of the BNR Rada Ivonka Survilla. People are chanting “Freedom to Kavalenka”.

Kavelanka's wife Alena addressed the crowd. She appeal to Lukashenka asking to release her husband. A half of the rally participants appeared on the square.

3:30 pm

Zmitser Vaitsyushkevich sang a song about the white-red-white flag. The crowd welcomed his with “Long live Belarus” shouts. BPF Party head Alyaksei Anukevich thad a speech.

3:40 pm

Alyaksandr Milinkevich addressed the mob. Uladzmir Khalip, the next speaker, said Belarus turned into a country of prisoners. He said he had two political prisoners in his family: his daughter Iryna Khalip spent 3 months behind bars, and his son-in-law, presidential candidate Andrei Sannikov, was still in prison. Uladzimir Khalip recalled all political prisoners and paid special attention to Syarhei Kavalenka, whose life was in danger.

3:42 pm

Viktar Karnyayenka and Viktar Ivashkevich called to boycott the parliamentary “election”. A banner “Boycott” with a crossed out image of Lukashenka was noticed.

3:45 pm

The rally is over. People began to disperse.