Anarchists picket police station, court and jail

Activists of the anarchist movement held a number of pickets in Minsk on January 16.

The pickets were organised against actions by the law-enforcement bodies at a recent concert of the Italian punk band Kalashnikov in Minsk's club Piraty.

Pickets were held near the police department of the Leninski district, the Leninski district court and the jail in Akrestsin Street.

The concert was disrupted by the riot police, who allegedly carried out an anti-drug operation.

All fans were ordered to stand their faces to the wall. Police officers searched and filmed them and wrote down their passport data. Three persons were detained. Two of them were sentenced to 10 days in custody for disorderly conduct (article 17.1 of the Code of Administrative Offences) in the Leninski district court on January 12. The detained girl was fined 10 penalty units.

“We carry out these pickets to tell all punitive bodies that they cannot scare us. Concerts will go on. People will continue to protest. Solidarity is stronger than fear. Our first symbolic picket is dedicated to all riot police officers who fulfilled the order and the KGB officers who gave the order, as well as to their cronies at the Leninski district police department who assisted them,” activists wrote on the website Anarchist Black Cross Belarus.