Belarusians are ready to take to the streets :: Charter'97 :: News

According to estimation of organizers of the rally, at least 10,000 participants have taken part in the Path of Chernobyl (Charnobylski Shliakh) on April 26. “It was an impressive quantity. It was a decent quantity. Goals set by us before the peaceful rallies, Freedom Day and Charnobylski Shliakh, have been fulfilled. We have received a confirmation that a potential for street actions remains in people,” said the chairman of the Belarusian Popular Front party Vintsuk Vyachorka at a press-conference. “I am glad to say that at least 10,000 people have taken part in the rally,” told the deputy chairman of the Belarusian Popular Front party Yury Khadyka.

Vintsuk Vyachorka noted that there were many young people among protesters. “It is satisfying that lots of young people have taken part in the rally yesterday. It means that intergenerational continuity is observed, as 7-7 years ago mostly mature people took to the streets. Today young people are now choosing this regime. They are ready to fight and to take part in street rallies. It’s a pity that though the rally had a demonstratively peaceful nature, detentions,” the BPF leaders said.

The leader of the Belarusian Popular Front party attracted attention to the fact that foreign TV channels for some reason had ignored the significant events in Minsk. “What a shame that foreign TV Channels including EuroNews have ignored our Path of Chernobyl. EuroNews has completely overlooked April 26, despite of a symbolic meaning of this day for the whole Europe, and not only for our much-suffering nation,” the politician said.

A deputy chairman of the Belarusian Social Democratic party (Hramada) Anatol Sidarevich said wittily:

“It seems to me that Belarusians are very strict to themselves. When 300-400 protesters gather in Moscow, there is quite a stir worldwide. And when 10,000 people gather here, we castigate ourselves and say it’s too few. The yesterday’s rally has pleased me, not only by the quantity of people, but by lots of young people”.

A deputy chairman of the Belarusian Popular Front party Yury Khadyka has also noted that at least 10,000 people had took part in Charnobylski Shliakh. I saw that in my own eyes,” Khadyka said.