Protesters Stopped From Lighting Candles of Solidarity With Belarus In Moscow :: Charter'97 :: News

On May 16, on the Day of Belarusian Solidarity, Russian citizens tried to come to Belarusian embassy in Moscow to light candles of solidarity with Belarusian political prisoners, repressed activists, families of abducted oppositionists and all who fight for freedom and democracy in Belarus. Near the embassy a group of young activists with white-red-white flags and badges “For Freedom!” was stopped by policemen.

As the Charter’97 press center was informed by the participants of the rally, first policemen checked their documents. Then a worker of the embassy that had not said his name started to question participants of the rally about the aim of their meeting and tried to argue with them. One of his statements simply stunned the Russian citizens. “You should understand that freedom is thrown into one say and stability on the other,” the representative of the Belarusian Embassy said.

After the documents check and preventive talks a bus with policemen arrived to the embassy. As it turned out, the Belarusian embassy called them in. Policemen looked at the people peacefully standing by their colleagues, turned back and left.

“As soon as we decided to go away from the Embassy, a red and mad representative of the Belarusian embassy appeared in the doorway. He shouted: “Why are they leaving? Policemen must arrive now and take them!” That was the end of our attempt to light candles of solidarity,” the participants of the protest said.