Lukashenko protesters return to Belarusian streets
Over 2,000 people staged a protest in the Belarusian capital, Minsk, on Sunday, in the first opposition demonstration since Alexander Lukashenko banned such gatherings following his disputed election win in 2010.
Participants waving the red-and-white flags of the historical republic as well as flags of the European Union gathered under the watchful eyes of a large contingent of riot police, singing songs and holding up signs with names of opposition figures who have been imprisoned. No arrests were reported in the protest that was unexpectedly allowed to take place by authorities. The march took place on Belarus's 'Day of Freedom,' an unofficial holiday that marks the day an independent state of Belarus was created in 1918. A number of prominent leaders from the opposition were on hand for the demonstration, including Vital Rymasheuski, who ran in the 2010 presidential election. "The Lukaschenko regime has only one weapon: fear," he said at the rally, adding a call to boycott the next election. Relations between the EU and Belarus have reached a new low point because of continuing repression in the country, and the EU has been trying for years to step up pressure on the regime in Minsk through sanctions. On Friday, the EU agreed to expand these sanctions by freezing the assets of more companies and expanding a list of officials who are banned from entering the EU. Lukashenko has led the country since 1994, and has retained Soviet-style control, cracking down on opposition politicians and independent media. mz/tj (AFP, dpa)
Lukashenko
Alexander_Lukashenko Viktor_Lukashenko
Belarusian
Belarusian
capital
Minsk
Minsk FC_Minsk Minsk_Region Principality_of_Minsk Minsk_(band) Minsk_Governorate FC_Minsk_(women) Minsk_Voivodeship Soviet_aircraft_carrier_Minsk Minsk-Arena Minsk_Protocol Minsk_Sports_Palace Minsk_(motorcycle) Mińsk_Mazowiecki Minsk_family_of_computers Minsk_railway_station
Sunday
Alexander Lukashenko
Alexander_Lukashenko
2010
European Union
European_Union European_Boxing_Union Member_state_of_the_European_Union European_Union_(resistance_group) Citizenship_of_the_European_Union Renewable_energy_in_the_European_Union European_Union_law Accession_of_Albania_to_the_European_Union Elections_to_the_European_Parliament Solar_energy_in_the_European_Union European_Union_Special_Representative European_Economic_Community Flag_of_Europe Pakistan–European_Union_relations LGBT_rights_in_the_European_Union History_of_the_European_Union
Belarus
Belarus Belarus_national_football_team ISU_Junior_Grand_Prix_in_Belarus Football_Federation_of_Belarus Belarus_women's_national_football_team Belarus_men's_national_ice_hockey_team Belarus_national_under-21_football_team Byelorussian_Soviet_Socialist_Republic Belarus_Fed_Cup_team Belarus_Davis_Cup_team Belarus_national_handball_team Football_in_Belarus Belarus_national_under-19_football_team Belarus_national_basketball_team Armed_Forces_of_Belarus Belarus_women's_national_basketball_team
Day of Freedom
Tag_der_Freiheit:_Unsere_Wehrmacht
Belarus
Belarus Belarus_national_football_team ISU_Junior_Grand_Prix_in_Belarus Football_Federation_of_Belarus Belarus_women's_national_football_team Belarus_men's_national_ice_hockey_team Belarus_national_under-21_football_team Byelorussian_Soviet_Socialist_Republic Belarus_Fed_Cup_team Belarus_Davis_Cup_team Belarus_national_handball_team Football_in_Belarus Belarus_national_under-19_football_team Belarus_national_basketball_team Armed_Forces_of_Belarus Belarus_women's_national_basketball_team
1918
Vital Rymasheuski
Vital_Rymasheuski
2010
Lukaschenko
EU
European_Union Europe List_of_European_records_in_swimming Eu,_Seine-Maritime E.U._(TV_series) European_Hot_100_Singles .eu European_Top_100_Albums Europium International_Federation_of_the_Phonographic_Industry United_Left_(Galicia) Experience_Unlimited United_Left_of_the_Balearic_Islands Esquerra_de_Menorca United_Extremadura Citizenship_of_the_European_Union
Belarus
Belarus Belarus_national_football_team ISU_Junior_Grand_Prix_in_Belarus Football_Federation_of_Belarus Belarus_women's_national_football_team Belarus_men's_national_ice_hockey_team Belarus_national_under-21_football_team Byelorussian_Soviet_Socialist_Republic Belarus_Fed_Cup_team Belarus_Davis_Cup_team Belarus_national_handball_team Football_in_Belarus Belarus_national_under-19_football_team Belarus_national_basketball_team Armed_Forces_of_Belarus Belarus_women's_national_basketball_team
EU
European_Union Europe List_of_European_records_in_swimming Eu,_Seine-Maritime E.U._(TV_series) European_Hot_100_Singles .eu European_Top_100_Albums Europium International_Federation_of_the_Phonographic_Industry United_Left_(Galicia) Experience_Unlimited United_Left_of_the_Balearic_Islands Esquerra_de_Menorca United_Extremadura Citizenship_of_the_European_Union
Minsk
Minsk FC_Minsk Minsk_Region Principality_of_Minsk Minsk_(band) Minsk_Governorate FC_Minsk_(women) Minsk_Voivodeship Soviet_aircraft_carrier_Minsk Minsk-Arena Minsk_Protocol Minsk_Sports_Palace Minsk_(motorcycle) Mińsk_Mazowiecki Minsk_family_of_computers Minsk_railway_station
Friday
EU
European_Union Europe List_of_European_records_in_swimming Eu,_Seine-Maritime E.U._(TV_series) European_Hot_100_Singles .eu European_Top_100_Albums Europium International_Federation_of_the_Phonographic_Industry United_Left_(Galicia) Experience_Unlimited United_Left_of_the_Balearic_Islands Esquerra_de_Menorca United_Extremadura Citizenship_of_the_European_Union
EU
European_Union Europe List_of_European_records_in_swimming Eu,_Seine-Maritime E.U._(TV_series) European_Hot_100_Singles .eu European_Top_100_Albums Europium International_Federation_of_the_Phonographic_Industry United_Left_(Galicia) Experience_Unlimited United_Left_of_the_Balearic_Islands Esquerra_de_Menorca United_Extremadura Citizenship_of_the_European_Union
Lukashenko
Alexander_Lukashenko Viktor_Lukashenko
1994
Soviet
mz/tj (AFP, dpa)
European Union
European_Union
iptc::11000000 topic::politics type::entity type::igo type::organization type::so
Belarus
Belarus
slot::in slot::keyword topic::none type::entity type::gpe type::gpe0 type::location
Minsk
Minsk
slot::in slot::keyword topic::none type::entity type::gpe type::gpe2 type::location
Alexander Lukashenko
Alexander_Lukashenko
gender::male iptc::11000000 slot::keyword topic::politics type::entity type::head_of_state type::person type::politician
Day of Freedom
Freedom_Day_(Belarus)
slot::keyword type::entity type::event type::holiday
Belarusian
topic::none type::gpe0-x type::other
capital
topic::none type::role type::value
Sunday
topic::none type::time type::value
2010
topic::none type::time type::value
1918
topic::none type::time type::value
Vital Rymasheuski
Vital_Rymasheuski
gender::male iptc::11000000 topic::politics type::entity type::person type::politician
Friday
topic::none type::time type::value
1994
topic::none type::time type::value
Soviet
Soviet_Union
topic::none type::gpe0-x type::other
mz/tj (AFP, dpa)
topic::none type::footer type::other