Demonstration Against Raising Retirement Age Banned In Brest

The Brest city executive committee denied the Social Democrats to hold a demonstration under social slogans.

This was reported to the BelaPAN by chairman of the Brest city organization of the Belarusian Social Democratic Party (Hramada) Hanna Kanius.

She recalled that a demonstration with the participation of 700 people was planned in the central streets of Brest on May 7 from 10:30 to 12:00: Masherau Avenue and Lenin Street up to the square of the same name.

Party members decided to postpone the May Day demonstration on May 7, due to the fact that this year's International Workers' Day coincided with Orthodox Easter.

The purpose of the action is to protest in connection with the adoption of the decree № 3 “On prevention of social dependency,” raising the retirement age; the demand to return the term of the army service, maternity care, training in high school, period of caring for a disabled person of the first group or a disabled child, as well as the elderly who have reached 80 years of age into the years of pensionable service.

According to the politician, the local authorities motivated the refusal by the fact that the demonstration was planned too close to the educational institutions, health care institutions and government buildings, which is prohibited by Art. 9 of the Law “On Mass Events,” as well as the decision of the Executive Committee, which does not allow to hold mass events in Masherau Avenue.

In 2013, the authorities allowed us to hold the May Day demonstration following the similar route. There were no questions to us as the organizers, there were no problems. As there were no problems during the election campaign and during the election pickets in all the main streets of the city. What has changed since 2013, since the presidential elections in 2015? There has become less democracy!” – Kanius said.