Belarusians Will Get Better Life :: Charter'97 :: News

People’s March “For Better Life!” was a success. The capital saw a massive action of protest, in which around 5 thousand people took part and which was upheld in dozens of Belarusian regions. Over 100,000 small business representatives didn’t come out to work as a sign of solidarity with the action. The national strike encompassed over 30 Belarusian towns. The actions of solidarity with the People’s March were held all across Europe. However, despite the clearly peaceful character of demonstration and social slogans, requiring the reduction of apartment rent and rise in salaries, the authorities embarked on provocations. Clashes with police were luckily avoided only due to the perfect diplomacy of the March’s organizers.

The law-enforcers and riot police forces were ready to disperse the protest at any moment. They hardly realized that they would have to beat their own brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers, who took to the streets to protest against the derogatory nation’s impoverishment. However, the action ended up peacefully. Only three individuals were delivered to the police custody in the aftermath. These were the People’s March initiators and organizers – Charter’97 human rights coordinator Ludmila Gryaznova, Charter’97 international coordinator, former deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Sannikov, Charter’97 coordinator Dmitry Bondarenko. They were driven to the Sovietsky district police station, from where they were supposed to be transported to the Okrestina pre-trial detention. Today they will stand trial and get sentenced. Chairman of the “Private property” Leonid Malakhov was carried out to the police station at 8a.m. this morning.

The action of protest People’s March “For Better Life!” commenced, just as had been planned, at 6p.m. sharp. Long before that the Yakub Kolas square was cordoned off by the uniformed and plain-clothed law-enforcers. Officers with walkie-talkies flooded the subway station and underpasses. As soon as the first protesters turned up at the place of the gathering, the law-enforcers started warning them through loud-speaker that the action was allegedly unsanctioned. (in fact, the day before the action’s initiators and deputy Interior Minister Alexander Schurko reached an agreement that the protesters can assemble on the Yakub Kolas square).

Meantime, the people kept coming. Soon they occupied not only the square but also the adjacent parts of the prospect. The striking entrepreneurs also joined their ranks. Representatives of all different political parties and movements came out to manifest their protest – youth movement ZUBR, United Civil Party, BPF “Adradjenne”, Party of labor, social-democrats. Not only the politicians came to the action – it was also upheld by the Association of parents of many children and other public organizations, as well as ordinary Belarusian citizens who simply want to live better and are ready to fight for a better fate. The dissenters raised slogans “Stop plundering people!”, “Lukashenko, feed our kids!”, “Reduce prices and taxes!”, “We prefer to work and pay taxes rather than fines and bribes!”, “Make taxes and rent lower!”. A minor meeting was held right on the square. The floor was given to the Charter`97 coordinators Dmitry Bondarenko and Ludmila Gryaznova, one of the BPF “Adradjenne” leaders Yuri Khodyko, leaders of entrepreneurial structures Leonid Malakhov, Valery Levonevsky, Anatoly Shumchenko and others. They passed the following resolution:

“We, the participants of the People’s March “For Better Life!”, protest the rise in the public utilities tariffs, nation’s impoverishment, deterioration of healthcare services’ quality and education, suppression of entrepreneurs, human rights violations and Alexander Lukashenko’s anti-constitutional actions. The regime bears responsibility for the travail of common people, for it cannot rule properly and ignores our will.
We, the participants of the People’s March “For Better Life!”, demand:
To reduce public utilities tariffs;
Raise salaries and pensions;
Guarantee free medical treatment and education;
Create favorable conditions for the development of small business and civilized market economy;
Provide opposition access to radio and television;
Halt repressions, unleashed against independent mass media and opposition organizations;
Don’t allow referendum on prolongation of Lukashenko’s presidential term.
We, the participants of the People’s March “For Better Life!”, vote for Lukashenko’s resignation. He must leave! Given our demands aren’t fulfilled, the massive actions of protest will continue.

March 12, 2003. Minsk”.

Following the passage of resolution the protesters determined to move towards Bangalor square via the Independence one, as stated in the original application, submitted to the Minsk city hall in advance. If you remember, the city authorities forbade rallying along the Skarina prospect and only sanctioned the final meeting at Bangalor. However, the organizers requested to hold demonstration, not meeting, which is a totally different notion from the juridical point of view. Therefore, the authorities’ ban was absolutely illegal and the protesters had every right to march via the central city.

However, the high-ranking police officials showed up in front of the crowd and started threatening with a violent dispersal of the action. Andrei Sannikov and Ludmila Gryaznova sought to convince deputy head of Minsk police Alexander Naidenko to at least accept the meeting’s resolution and pass it over to Lukashenko’s Administration.

But the police colonel declined to follow suit. Instead, they provoked an artificial traffic jam at the exit from the square in order to prevent the protesters from making an organized rally and step on the prospect. Realizing that it may entail violent confrontation with police, the protesters turned around and moved out in an opposite direction, shouting “to the TV!” Protesters intended to approach the main BT office, demanding access for opposition to radio and television. Those of dissenters, who couldn’t walk on the overcrowded sidewalk, were marching along the prospect lanes. At reaching the “BELVAR” plant, however, they faced riot police cordons with their commander Yuri Podobed at the head. At first the law-enforcers tried to oust the people to the very edge of the traffic lanes. Then Podobed commanded to force people towards the pavement.

Taking into account the number of people involved and the narrowness of the sidewalk, such a step could provoke repetition of the Nemiga stampede, as a result of which 53 perished in Minsk in 1999, including a law-enforcer…

People’s March organizers called on police not to push people to the sidewalks and not to provoke deadly stampede again. Finally, the people sat on the pavement and clasped their hands together. However, the riot police all the same ousted them to the sidewalk by parking the vehicles right next to it. In order not to be crushed by cars’ wheels the people had to step back and retreat. The protesters didn’t respond to police lawless acts.

Slowly moving in a column and not putting down banners and flags, shouting social mottoes, the crowd reached the Academy of sciences, where the organizers urged the people to walk home. This was the only effective way of how to avoid dispersal, which the authorities so much longed for. Despite provocations, threats and blackmail on part of the police, the people took to the streets and demanded better life.

The rally was supported in dozens of country’s regions and by over 100,000 entrepreneurs. The main thing is that they managed to avoid mass clashes with police. As underscored upon the action’s termination its initiator Ludmila Gryaznova: “Folks, finally you stood up from your knees!”.

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