Franak Vyachorka: Days of Solidarity Changed Belarus :: Charter'97 :: News

Today the Day of Belarusian Solidarity is celebrated in Belarus and around the world. Recently activists of democratic youth movements prefer to stage short actions on the Day of Solidarity. Their aim is to raise awareness of the society about the political situation in the country. Young activist Franak Vyachorka believes that Days of Solidarity have changes Belarus in some ways.

“Belarus has really become conscious of a value of unity over the months when these rallies were held. A last year election campaign has demonstrated that only by combining efforts we can win. I think that the Day of Solidarity should take place every day in a life of every Belarusian who is concerned about values of freedom and democracy,” told the young activist to Radio Svaboda.

Solidarity actions are to take place on February 16 in Washington, Warsaw, Lublin, Krakow, St. Petersburg, Moscow, Brussels, Stockholm, Prague ad many other cities and countries.

It’s the 16th time when the Day of Solidarity is marked. Earlier organizers of the action Iryna Khalip, Mikita Sasim and Iryna Krasouskaya appealed to citizens to turn off the light for 15 months on the 16th day of every month at 8 p.m. and to light candles in their windows.

Later rallies were held on October Square, near the Russian Embassy and in the center of the city. Later young activists started to stage rallies independently from initiators, who said that their aim was only to offer an idea.