Dashkevich: People Are Glad To See White-Red-White Flags

“Young Front” has collected about 10 thousand signatures for granting the white-red-white flag the status of non-material historical and cultural value.

Over the last month the activists of the social association Young Front, registered in the Czech Republic, have collected approximately 10 thousand signatures under the petition demanding to grant the white-red-white flag the status of non-material historical and cultural value. BelaPAN leant this from one of the leaders of the organization Zmitser Dashkevich.

Let us remind that the collection of signatures was announced on September 19, at the end of the action “Avenue of National Flag”, which was held in Minsk to mark the 25th anniversary of proclamation of white-red-white flag and Pahonia coat of arms the state symbols of Belarus.

According to Dashkevich, nine thousand out of ten thousand signatures were collected by just 6 people. “If there were 60 or 600 people in the democratic movement, who would be ready to stand at the exits of the metro stations every day, it would be possible to collect even a million signatures,” – Dashkevich believes.

The activists gives a positive assessment of the past action. “People are glad to see the white-red-white flags,” – he noted. The signatures will be filed to the Ministry of Culture next week.

“The authorities have taken some actions, which indicate some change in the ideological approaches of the state. We can see that St. George's ribbons, symbolizing the military aggression of Russia, were abolished at the official level; all the initiatives related to vyshyvanka (traditional embroidered shirt) were given the green light. Maybe, officials will try to do something in regard to the appeal on the white-red-white flag, so that it had some status in the country. It would expand its use and that is for which we have collected signatures,” – Dashkevich said.

Here, he noted that the main message of the action was addressed “not to government officials, but to the people who go by metro, to young people who may be even unaware of the white-red-white flag.” “For many people to sign the petition meant to step over their fear,” – Dashkevich said.

Let us remind, that on September 19, 1991 the session of the Supreme Soviet of the BSSR decided to change the name of the country: Belarusian Soviet Socialist Republic turned into the Republic of Belarus. The new state symbols were also adopted – a white-red-white flag and Pahonia coat of arms.

On May 14, 1995, Lukashenka initiated a referendum, which resulted in abolishing the white-red-white flag and Pahonia coat of arms as state emblems.