Dispersal of Protest at Republic’s Palace :: Charter'97 :: News

Over 50 individuals turned up today at 9.30a.m. on the Oktyabrskaya square of Minsk with portraits of harassed Belarusians – missing politicians Yuri Zakharenko, Viktor Gonchar, businessman Anatoly Krasovsky and ORT cameraman Dmitry Zavadsky; deceased under mysterious circumstances Gennady Karpenko and Anatoly Maisenya, political prisoners, Supreme Soviet deputies Andrei Klimov and Valery Schukin. Meantime, dozens of buses brought to the square Alexander Lukashenko’s voters. The voters, just as once the delegates of the wacky All-Belarusian Assembly, were driven here from all around the country. The protesters were immediately attacked by the plain-clothed agents. They dragged the people along the asphalt, trying to oust them from the square. In response, the picketers sat down on the pavement and didn’t stir.

The action organizer, UCP leader Anatoly Lebedko also suffered in a clash. Huge men in civilian carried him into their vehicle, but he fought them back so vigorously that they had to retreat.

After the folks sat on the asphalt, refusing to leave the place, the law-enforcers determined to leave them. Otherwise, Lukashenko’s voters would be distracted and scared by the scene of the beating. In order to prevent Lukashenko’s electorate from seeing the protesters opposite the Palace, they accompanied the loyal voters inside the building through the back door.