Milinkevich calls on his supporters to stand on Oktyabrskaya Square until at least October 25 :: Charter'97 :: News

Aleksandr Milinkevich called on his supporters to keep vigil on Oktyabrskaya Square until at least March 25, the 88th anniversary of the Belarusian National Republic, the country’s first, brief independence from Russia in 1918. “The 25th of March is a sacred day for the Belarusians,” Mr. Milinkevich said in his emotional address to a crowd of several thousand on Tuesday evening. He suggested that all those who hold dear Belarus and the fate of democracy in the country should gather together on the square on that day and uphold their freedom.

He warned that the authorities reportedly might venture to liquidate the “freedom encampment” in the coming night.

Another opposition candidate in the past presidential election, Aleksandr Kozulin, told the gathering that the campaign teams of his and Mr. Milinkevich were discussing and would soon adopt possible courses of action. He declared that a revolution so feared by Aleksandr Lukashenko had occurred in the country, and that the present authorities should be regarded as illegitimate.

The ambassadors of European Union countries, including the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia and the UK, arrived at the square at about 6:30 p.m. to see with their own eyes what was going on there, as Ambassador Maira Mora of Latvia put it.

She noted that European countries regard the demonstration as part of the democratic process.

British Ambassador Brian Bennett told reporters that they were there because they believe in democracy and human rights, not for speaking about specific steps that the EU might take with regard to Belarus. He noted that the ambassadors were there not to interfere in Belarus’ internal affairs but to support the democratic process, which he said is fundamental for any country.

Gennady Klepcha, spokesman for the Belarusian Ministry of Internal Affairs, told BelaPAN that all those standing on Oktyabrskaya Square should be charged under the Administrative Offenses Code. “And their leaders should be punished in the severest way; they are accustoming youths to drinking,” he said.

Colonel Klepcha refused say how many demonstrators had been arrested. He also refused to say why he was keeping this secret.

According to human rights activists, at least 110 participants had been apprehended by Tuesday evening.