Protest held in eastern Poland against Lukashenka regime in Belarus :: Charter'97 :: News

[Presenter] Several dozen people took part in a demonstration in front of the Belarusian consulate in Bialystok in solidarity with the persecuted activists in the Belarusian opposition.

Earlier, around 100 people marched through the centre of city towards the consulate.

The protesters carried banners with slogans, such as: Down with the last dictator in Europe.

They also brought a coffin symbolizing the funeral of Belarusian democracy.

[Protesters, chanting in rhyme] Freedom in Belarus, Lukashenka must go. Lukashenka must go.

[Unidentified woman] We, the people of Bialystok, citizens of a free and democratic country, express our sorrow and outrage, that living so close to our city is a people who cannot enjoy the freedom of democracy. The regime of President [Alyaksandr] Lukashenka, using methods of action and introducing legal principles long ago forgotten in the civilized world, condemns the people of Belarus, who are close to us, to cultural and technological backwardness.

[Protesters, chanting in rhyme] Freedom in Belarus, Lukashenka must go.

[Presenter] The rally was organized by the Bialystok branch of the Civic Platform [PO].

Today [4 November] in Bialystok a discussion meeting was held on the topic of Polish assistance for building democracy in Belarus. The meeting was attended by Vintsuk Vyachorka, the leader of the opposition Belarusian People`s Front.