Sports fans against Lukashenka (Photo)

Sports fans were protesting against holding the 2014 Ice Hockey World Championship in Minsk during a match Belarus-France.

During a hockey match between Belarus and France at Finnish Hartwall Arena that ended in France's 2-1 victory, banned Belarusian white-red-white flags were waving, Radio Svaboda reports with a link to Finnish website  Sportti.com.

Besides the flags, posters “Long live Belarus!” and “Lukashenka must quit!” could be seen in the stands among Belarusian fans and Belarus's fans from Finland and other European countries. “In this way, spectators of the ice hockey world championship showed their protest against holding the 2014 championship in the country where human rights are being violated and opposition is being suppressed,” Finnish media report.

Observers note during previous matches, posters with calls to dismiss IIHF Vice President and chairman of the organizing committee Kalervo Kummola, who stands against boycotting the 2014 championship, were removed from the venue by guards and police, but posters against Lukashenka met a calm reaction of security guards.