2020s in political history, History by region, Americas, Peru
During the COVID-19 pandemic in Peru, President Vizcarra instituted stay-at-home orders and issued relief funds, but existing inequality, overcrowding and a largely informal economy saw Peru being heavily affected by the pandemic. As a result, Peru's gross domestic product declined thirty percent, increasing political pressure on Vizcarra's government. In September 2020, Congress opened impeachment proceedings against Vizcarra on grounds of "moral incapacity", accusing him of influence peddling after audio recordings were released by an opposition legislator, but the process did not receive enough votes to remove him from office.


2020s in political history, History by region, Americas, Peru
On 9 November 2020, the Peruvian Congress impeached Vizcarra a second time, after declaring him "morally incompetent"; he was removed from office. The President of Congress, Manuel Merino, succeeded him as President of Peru the following day. Vizcarra's removal from office was seen as a coup by many Peruvians, political analysts and media outlets in the country, resulting in the beginning of the 2020 Peruvian protests. Following the deaths of protesters, Merino resigned after only five days. The new president chosen by the legislature was Francisco Sagasti, a former World Bank official characterised as a "centrist technocrat".


2020s in political history, History by region, Americas, Peru
After the 2021 Peruvian general election, runner-up Keiko Fujimori disseminated claims of electoral fraud. Observers from the Inter-American Union of Electoral Organizations, the Organization of American States, and the Progressive International denied any instances of widespread fraud and praised the accuracy of the elections. Rumors spread of a possible coup d'état against Castillo, if he were declared the official winner of the presidential election. A letter signed by almost one-hundred retired officers of the Peruvian armed forces was written calling on current military leaders in Peru to refuse recognizing the election of Castillo into the presidency. President Francisco Sagasti condemned the letter, stating: "They want to incite top commanders of the Army, Navy, and Air force to break the rule of law."


2020s in political history, History by region, Americas, Peru
On 25 June, former 2001 and 2016 presidential candidate Fernando Olivera revealed audio tapes, alleging that Vladimiro Montesinos, who was the right-hand man to former President Alberto Fujimori currently serving a prison sentence for crimes committed during the Fujimori period, was behind the attempts for Keiko Fujimori to be declared as the winner of the second round against Castillo, including through the payment of bribes to electoral officials and influencing the National Jury of Elections. The National Penitentiary Institute and Peruvian Navy announced an investigation, confirming that Montesinos made two phone calls from Callao Naval Base where he is jailed, on 10 and 23 June to unauthorised persons coordinating the effort to overturn the election.


2020s in political history, History by region, Americas, Venezuela
The Crisis in Venezuela and its presidential crisis continued in 2020.


2020s in political history, History by region, Americas, Venezuela
On 5 January, the 2020 Venezuelan National Assembly Delegated Committee election was disputed between Luis Parra and opposition leader Juan Guaidó. On 19 January, Guaidó left Venezuela and arrived in Colombia, planning to meet with Mike Pompeo, as well as traveling to Europe and the United States later.


2020s in political history, History by region, Americas, Venezuela
On 26 March, the Department of State declared a $15 million bounty on Nicolás Maduro, as well as $10 million each on Diosdado Cabello, Hugo Carvajal, Clíver Alcalá Cordones and Tareck El Aissami, for charges of drug trafficking and narco-terrorism. Following this, Clíver Alcalá, a former general residing in Colombia, published a video claiming responsibility for a stockpile of weapons and military equipment seized in Colombia. According to Alcalá, he had made a contract with Guaidó and "American advisers" in order to buy weapons to remove Maduro. Alcalá did not present any evidence and Guaidó rejected the allegations. After wishing farewell to his family, Alcalá surrendered to US authorities on 27 March.


2020s in political history, History by region, Americas, Venezuela
On 3 May, eight former Venezuelan soldiers were killed and seventeen rebels were captured on 3 May, including two American security contractors, after approximately 60 men landed in Macuto and tried to invade Venezuela. The members of the naval attack force were employed as private military contractors by Silvercorp USA and the operation aimed to depose Maduro from power.


2020s in political history, History by region, Oceania, Australia
The Morrison Government announced an economic stimulus package to combat the effects of coronavirus on the economy.


2020s in political history, History by region, Oceania, New Zealand
In the 2020 New Zealand general election, the governing Labour Party, led by incumbent Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern won the election in a landslide victory against the National Party, led by Judith Collins. It was the first time a New Zealand political party has secured a majority government under the mixed-member proportional representation (MMP) system introduced in 1996. Labour also achieved the highest percentage of the popular vote (49.1%) for any political party since the 1951 general election (where the then-National Party won 54.0% of the popular vote).


2020s in political history, History by region, Oceania, New Zealand
Labour also achieved its third-highest ever percentage of the popular vote (49.1%) in its political history, surpassed only by its previous general election victories of 1938 (55.8%) and 1946 (51.3%). Conversely in this election, the National Party obtained the second-lowest ever percentage of the popular vote (26.79%) in its history, second only to the lowest percentage obtained in 2002 (20.93%).


2020s in political history, History by region, Oceania, Samoa
A constitutional crisis began in Samoa on 22 May 2021 when the O le Ao o le Malo (Head of State) Tuimalealiifano Va'aletoa Sualauvi II issued a proclamation purporting to prevent the Legislative Assembly of Samoa from meeting in the wake of the April 2021 Samoan general election. Court rulings had upheld the election results, giving a parliamentary majority to the Faʻatuatua i le Atua Samoa ua Tasi (FAST) party, led by Fiame Naomi Mataʻafa. On 24 May 2021, a makeshift ceremony was held outside of Parliament to swear in Mata'afa as prime minister. On 23 July the Court of Appeal declared that the ceremony was binding and that FAST had been the government since that date.


2020s in political history, History by region, Oceania, Vanuatu
Gracia Shadrack, Vanuatu's speaker, declared in 2021 that the seats of the prime minister Bob Loughman, the deputy prime minister, and 16 other MPs are vacant after they boycott parliament for three days. Supreme Court of Vanuatu Justice Oliver Saksak placed a stay on speaker Gracia Shadrack's vacation of the 18 seats of parliament until a court could formally consider the dispute.


2020s in science and technology
This article is a summary of the 2020s in science and technology.


2020s in social history
This is a social history of the 2020s. Social history refers to changes affecting societies and the lived experiences of their members.


2020s in social history, Global issues, Social effects of the COVID-19 pandemic
The impact on personal gatherings was strong as medical experts advised, and local authorities often mandated stay-at-home orders to prevent gatherings of any size, not just the larger events that were initially restricted. Such gatherings could be replaced by teleconferencing, or in some cases with unconventional attempts to maintain social distancing with activities such as a balcony sing-along for a concert, or a "birthday parade" for a birthday party. Replacements for gatherings were seen as significant to mental health during the crisis. Social isolation among alcohol users also adopted a trend towards Kalsarikänni or "pantsdrunking", a Finnish antisocial drinking culture.


2020s in social history, Global issues, Social effects of the COVID-19 pandemic
Low income individuals were more likely to contract the coronavirus and to die from it. In both New York City and Barcelona, low income neighborhoods were disproportionately hit by coronavirus cases. Hypotheses for why this was the case included that poorer families were more likely to live in crowded housing and work in the low skill jobs, such as supermarkets and elder care, which were deemed essential during the crisis. In the United States, millions of low-income people may lack access to health care due to being uninsured or underinsured. Millions of Americans lost their health insurance after losing their jobs. Many low income workers in service jobs became unemployed.


2020s in social history, Global issues, Social effects of the COVID-19 pandemic
The coronavirus pandemic was followed by a concern for a potential spike in suicides, exacerbated by social isolation due to quarantine and social-distancing guidelines, fear, and unemployment and financial factors. Many countries reported an increase in domestic violence and intimate partner violence attributed to lockdowns amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Financial insecurity, stress, and uncertainty led to increased aggression at home, with abusers able to control large amounts of their victims' daily life. United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres called for a domestic violence "ceasefire".


2020s in social history, Global issues, Race
The killing of George Floyd has led to many protest and riots across the United States and internationally. The stated goal of the protest has been to end police brutality and racial inequality.


2020s in social history, Global issues, Gender
The World Economic Forum published a report on the global gender gap in January 2020 that concludes gender parity will not be reached for 99.5 years. The report benchmarks 153 countries in four dimensions: Economic Participation and Opportunity, Educational Attainment, Health and Survival, and Political Empowerment. The top-ranking country for parity is Iceland, and Albania, Ethiopia, Mali, Mexico, and Spain are the most improved. At least 35 countries have achieved gender parity in education, and 71 have closed at least 97% of the gap in health.


2020s in social history, Global issues, Gender
Political empowerment remains poor—85 countries have never had a female head of state and women hold only 25% of all available positions, while eight countries have no women in government at all. Globally, only 55% of women (ages 15–64) are economically active, compared to 78% of men. 72 countries do not allow women to open bank accounts or obtain credit.


2020s in social history, Global issues, Technology
Trends in technology include greater use of artificial intelligence (AI), autonomous vehicles (AV), virtual reality, a ten-year human lifespan increase (due to better drugs, stem cell manipulation, and gene therapy), renewable and sustainable energy, and space (commercialization, weaponization, and exploration).


2020s in spaceflight
This article documents expected notable spaceflight events during the 2020s.


2020s in spaceflight, Overview
The trend towards cost reduction in access to orbit is expected to continue. In 2021 SpaceX plans to launch its new fully reusable Starship to orbit and Vulcan is planned to replace its more expensive predecessors. Ariane 6 is expected to replace the more expensive Ariane 5 in early 2022, and Blue Origin plans the maiden flight of New Glenn with a reusable first stage in late 2022.


2020s in spaceflight, Overview
Mars stays a focus for missions to other planets, with three missions launched in 2020 (by China, the United Arab Emirates and the United States) and at least two missions planned for 2022 (ESA and Japan) and 2024 (India and Japan), respectively.


2020s in spaceflight, Overview
NASA plans a return of humans to the Moon by 2024. A first uncrewed launch of the Space Launch System is planned for November 2021, followed by a first crewed launch in 2023. In addition NASA plans to assemble the Lunar Gateway in lunar orbit. A crewed exploration of Mars could follow in the mid 2030s. An uncrewed and then a crewed trip to Jupiter and Europa have been commonly contemplated, but no space agencies or companies have yet announced definite plans to launch a crewed mission further than Mars. SpaceX, a private company, has also announced plans to land humans on Mars in the mid-2020s, with the long-term goal of enabling the colonization of Mars.


2020s in spaceflight, Overview
India plans its first crewed flight with a spacecraft called Gaganyaan on a home-grown GSLV Mark III rocket in 2023. The mission would make India the 4th nation to launch a crewed spaceflight after Russia, US and China. India also plans to launch its second Mars probe, Mars Orbiter Mission 2 (Mangalyaan 2), in 2024.


2020s in spaceflight, Overview
The number of small satellites launched annually was expected to grow to around one thousand (2018 estimate), although SpaceX alone plans to launch more than that for its Starlink constellation (12,000 satellites from 2019 to 2027). The majority of the satellites are expected to be communication satellites in large constellations. In 2020, over 800 Starlink satellites were launched to orbit.


2020–2021 Alabama aluminum plant strike
The 2020 Alabama aluminum plant strike is a labor strike that occurred in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, United States from December 2020 to January 2021. The strike involved approximately 400 members of the United Steelworkers Local 200, over alleged unfair labor practices by Constellium, a multinational producer of aluminum products who operate a manufacturing plant.


2020–2021 Alabama aluminum plant strike, Background
In January 2015, the company Wise Metals was acquired by French-based multinational aluminum products manufacturer Constellium. As part of the acquisition, Constellium gained ownership of an aluminum sheet metal manufacturing plant in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. The plant primarily produces sheet metal for use in drink cans and has contracts with several major companies, including Budweiser. In 2020, the plant was one of 25 operated by Constellium across China, Europe, and North America, with 13,000 employees worldwide. A previous labor strike against Constellium involved 700 workers and took place at an aluminum plant in Ravenswood, West Virginia in 2012.


2020–2021 Alabama aluminum plant strike, Background
In 2020, the Muscle Shoals plant employed 1,200 workers, making the plant the city's largest employer. Many of the workers are union members of United Steelworkers (USW) Local 200. On November 1, 2020, after months of failed labor contract negotiations between the union and Constellium, the contract expired. According to the union's district director, safety and seniority were the primary points of dispute, with the director alleging that the contract proposed by Constellium would have given management "unchecked authority" over scheduling.


2020–2021 Alabama aluminum plant strike, Course of the strike
On December 15, 2020, Constellium was notified by USW that local members had voted to reject the most recent collective bargaining proposal, and on midnight, the local members officially went on strike. Strikers are alleging unfair labor practices by Constellium and have picketed the plant. USW President Tom Conway stated that the strike would continue until Constellium "comes to their senses" and, speaking about concessions requested by the company, said "there's no need for what they're asking for." The strike is occurring during the COVID-19 pandemic. On December 16, strikers began picketing in the parking lot outside of the plant.


2020–2021 Alabama aluminum plant strike, Course of the strike
On January 1, 2021, a mediator held discussions between union and company representatives. On January 12, union members ended the strike and returned to work following the ratification of a five-year contract with the company.


2020–2021 Argentinian protests
The 2020 Argentinian protests were a series of demonstrations that occurred as of May 2020 in different parts of the country. The reasons were diverse, with the common denominator being dissatisfaction over the successive extensions of the isolation measures adopted to contain the spread of the coronavirus disease. For this reason, some media describe the protests as "antiquarantine." Other slogans expressed opposition to the government, denial of the existence of the pandemic and demands for more freedom, among others. In general, the participants in these protests did so from their vehicles in order to keep their distance from other people, although in some cases the attendees did not comply with the prevention measures established by the authorities.


2020–2021 Argentinian protests
There were also other marches and mobilizations in various parts of the country in protest for various issues.


2020–2021 Argentinian protests, Background
The first confirmed case of the COVID-19 pandemic in Argentina was announced on 3 March 2020. On 19 March, President Alberto Fernández ordered the first stage of quarantine, initially until the 31st of the same month. At the time of adopting these measures, the positive image of the president was 72%. A week later, approval was still on the rise and was estimated at 82%. The isolation measures - with differentiation in different parts of the country according to the dynamics of the spread of the virus and the decisions of the local authorities - were extended over the months. The positive image of the president fell to values around 60% in July 2020, and remained practically stable for a time. By mid-October 2020, the approval of the discharge of the health emergency reached only 43%.


2020–2021 Argentinian protests, Timeline, May
On 25 May, a small group of people gathered in front of Plaza de Mayo, in the city of Buenos Aires. The call was made through social networks. Those attending the march - some 100 or 200 people according to different sources - expressed their dissatisfaction with the extension of the quarantine, demanded greater freedom, and in some cases adopted denialist positions regarding the existence of the pandemic. The protest included Cacerolazo of a group of people around the Obelisk and in some neighborhoods of the city.


2020–2021 Argentinian protests, Timeline, June
On 6 June, a small group of people gathered in the vicinity of the Obelisk. Most of the attendees demanded the implementation of protocols that would allow the reopening of shops, gyms, and other activities. Other heterogeneous slogans were added to this claim, such as the rejection of a supposed "new world order", and a claim "for freedom", among others. On 20 June there was a demonstration called #BanderazoNacional.Various claims were added to the usual slogans such as "promoting the Republic" or that the country "does not become Argenzuela". It was called through social networks by opposition leaders, and included caravans of vehicles that circulated in the center of the city of Buenos Aires. The march, which gathered a few hundred people, occurred at a peak in the number of infections registered in the metropolitan area.


2020–2021 Argentinian protests, Timeline, July
On 8 July 2020, former President Mauricio Macri gave an interview to journalist Álvaro Vargas Llosa during which he expressed his criticism of the management of his successor Alberto Fernández and declared himself firmly in favor of "freedoms" that in his opinion were in risk in Argentina. The following day, coinciding with the celebration of Independence Day, a protest march was organized with an epicenter in the city of Buenos Aires and replicas in some parts of the country.


2020–2021 Argentinian protests, Timeline, July
The slogans were similar to those of previous protests, with the addition of demands for "freedom of expression" and "defense of private property". The demonstration was generally peaceful, but a group of people attacked CNN journalists who were covering it and damaged the vehicle that was transporting them, without the security forces intervening to preserve order. The march received criticism from various sectors, basically due to the fact that in general the distance between the attendees was not respected and many of them did not wear masks or chinstraps. About two weeks later, spikes of confirmed infections were registered in the country, which was interpreted as the consequence of the 9 July demonstrations.


2020–2021 Argentinian protests, Timeline, August
On 1 August, a group of about 300 protesters gathered in the center of the city of Buenos Aires. The call was made through social networks under the hashtag "1AYoVoy", with the aim of expressing the rejection of a reform projec — presented by the national executive and not yet discussed in the National Congress — centered on federal justice.


2020–2021 Argentinian protests, Timeline, August
On 17 August, the demonstration called 17A took place, in protest against the extension of the self-isolation measures, the judicial reform project, and in general against the national government. Some representatives of the opposition Juntos por el Cambio, as the president of PRO Patricia Bullrich, the actor and former radical deputy Luis Brandoni and the former minister Hernán Lombardi.


2020–2021 Argentinian protests, Timeline, August
Other politicians from the same alliance such as the head and deputy head of the Government of the City of Buenos Aires, Horacio Rodríguez Larreta and Diego Santilli respectively, and the Minister of Health of the same district Fernán Quirós did not attend and expressed their disagreement with the meeting. The mobilisation was generally peaceful, except for some attendees who broke the mobile of the CNN channel, in a similar way to what happened in the mobilization on 9 July 2020.


2020–2021 Argentinian protests, Timeline, August
On the afternoon of 26 August, a group of people gathered in front of the Palace of Congress in rejection of the judicial reform whose treatment was scheduled for 27 August. The convocation proposed holding a kind of vigil and then a symbolic hug to the Parliament. About 500 people attended the march. Days later, while the work of the parliamentary committees continued prior to the treatment of the project, a small group of people tried to force entry into Congress, and a protester armed was arrested.


2020–2021 Argentinian protests, Timeline, September
Between the night of 1 and 2 September, protesters turned up late at night in discontent over the virtual session where deputies from Juntos por el Cambio who attended the Congress in person were "absent". It lasted until after 4 in the morning on 2 September with hundreds of protesters outside Congress; It was also attended by the actor and musician Alfredo Casero. On 13 September, protests were held in various parts of the country. With its epicenter in the center of the city of Buenos Aires, the convocation achieved little support.


2020–2021 Argentinian protests, Timeline, September
On 19 September, new demonstrations were held in various parts of the country, such as La Plata, Córdoba, and San Miguel de Tucumán, among others. On this date, demonstrations were also held abroad, such as at the Argentine embassy in France. On 28 September, some 15,000 people demonstrated near the town of Palpalá, Jujuy province, demanding justice for the femicides committed in the province in the previous weeks.


2020–2021 Argentinian protests, Timeline, October
On 12 October, a new mobilization took place that had the participation of opposition leaders, and was replicated in several cities such as Mendoza, Córdoba and Tucumán. The handling of the pandemic, the supposed official interference in Justice and the direction of the economy inspired the main slogans. It generated controversy due to several attacks on the press and violence against different journalists who covered the news, including death threats against journalists and beatings.


2020–2021 Argentinian protests, Timeline, November
On 8 November, a new demonstration took place in different parts of the country and, unlike the previous ones, a holiday was not chosen. The slogans were, among others, the independence of powers, respect for the Constitution, security and the economic situation.


2020–2021 Armenian protests
The 2020−2021 Armenian protests (also known as the March of Dignity; Armenian: Արժանապատվության երթ, romanized: Arzhanapatvut'yan yert') were a series of protests that began following the Nagorno-Karabakh ceasefire agreement on 10 November 2020. After Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced that he signed an agreement to cede Armenian-occupied territories in Azerbaijan and put an end to six weeks of hostilities over the Nagorno-Karabakh region, thousands of people took to the streets, and hundreds stormed the Parliament building in the capital Yerevan. Protests continued throughout November, with demonstrations in Yerevan and other cities demanding the resignation of Nikol Pashinyan.


2020–2021 Armenian protests
The protests were led by two different political coalitions: the National Democratic Pole, a pro-Western and pro-European alliance consisting of several political figures, and the Homeland Salvation Movement, a pro-Russian alliance consisting of several opposition parties. The former ruling Republican Party, the largest opposition party in parliament at the time, Prosperous Armenia, and the Armenian Revolutionary Federation joined the Homeland Salvation Movement. On 3 December 2020, the Homeland Salvation Movement announced former prime minister Vazgen Manukyan as their candidate to lead an interim government for a period of one year. Meanwhile, the National Democratic Pole, led by the Sasna Tsrer Pan-Armenian Party and formerly the European Party of Armenia, had also proposed for itself to lead an interim government for a period of one year.


2020–2021 Armenian protests
In addition to the two political coalitions, numerous public figures had called on Prime Minister Pashinyan to resign, including the current president of Armenia, Armen Sarkissian, former president Levon Ter-Petrosyan, both catholicoi of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Karekin II and Aram I, and leader of the then third-largest party in parliament Edmon Marukyan (who announced his own candidacy for the office of prime minister) as well as several regional governors and mayors. In early December, the ban on mass gatherings and strikes stipulated by martial law imposed in September was lifted. On 22 December, a general strike was called that reinvigorated the protests.


2020–2021 Armenian protests
On 25 February 2021, Chief of the General Staff of the Armenian Armed Forces Onik Gasparyan and more than 40 other high-ranking military officers issued a statement calling for Pashinyan's resignation, which Pashinyan denounced as an attempted military coup. On 18 March 2021, Pashinyan announced early parliamentary elections, to take place on 20 June 2021. Pashinyan confirmed he would resign as Prime Minister in April 2021 but would continue to serve as interim prime minister until snap elections were held.


2020–2021 Armenian protests, Background
During the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war, which began on 27 September 2020, Azerbaijani forces seized control of many settlements, including the strategically important city of Shusha after a three-day-long battle. The war ended in an Azerbaijani victory on 9 November, and a ceasefire was signed between both parties and Russia. According to the agreement, Armenian and Azerbaijani forces will remain in their positions until Armenia returns territories it occupied surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh (Kalbajar, Aghdam, and Lachin Districts excluding the Lachin Corridor) back to Azerbaijan.


2020–2021 Armenian protests, Background
Azerbaijan will retain all territories gained during the war, and around 2,000 Russian peacekeeping forces will be deployed in the remaining territory. While the deal was widely celebrated in Azerbaijan, it was viewed as a disastrous defeat in Armenia, and some Armenians quickly took to the streets. Protestors called Prime Minister Pashinyan a "traitor", and demanded him to step down, nullify the peace agreement, and restart the war.


2020–2021 Armenian protests, Protests, 10 November
On 10 November, when the protests erupted, there were fights as protesters tried to get over to the podium to speak and were shouted down, with some throwing bottles. Protesters also seized the parliament building by breaking a metal door, and pulled the President of the National Assembly of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan from a car, demanding to know the whereabouts of Pashinyan. He was beaten by the protesters and later taken to hospital, where he underwent surgery and was said to be in good condition.


2020–2021 Armenian protests, Protests, 10 November
The Prime Minister's daughter Mariam Pashinyan said on her Facebook page that the demonstrators entered the room of her younger sisters. The AFP news agency reported that the police authorities who were present did little to prevent the disorder and people roamed the hallways of the government building, where the doors had been opened and the contents in the offices were thrown around.


2020–2021 Armenian protests, Protests, 11 November
At about 04:00, a group of approximately 40 people attempted to break into the Yerevan office of Azatutyun, the Armenian service of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL). Executive producer Artak Hambardzumyan said that the group first shouted at the Azatutyun offices, calling its employees "Turks" and traitors, and demanded that its journalists leave the country. The attackers also kicked and punched the office door, unsuccessfully trying to break in and "take Azatutyun’s server." The protesters also ransacked the Open Society Foundation office in downtown Yerevan. On the same day, six people were detained on suspicion of organizing mass riots, and calling to seize power and to overthrow the constitutional order.


2020–2021 Armenian protests, Protests, 11 November
The Armenian Prosecutor General's Office urged the citizens to refrain from organizing, holding or participating in rallies, while clashes broke out between the protestors, who were chanting "Nikol is a traitor! ", and the Armenian security forces on Freedom Square in Yerevan, where three law enforcement officers were injured. The protesters then moved to the building of the Government of Armenia. The Armenian opposition announced the creation of the National Salvation Committee in response to the arrests. The protests concluded at late night.


2020–2021 Armenian protests, Protests, 12 November
At midday, a small group of protesters gathered at the Matenadaran Mesrop Mashtots Institute of Ancient Manuscripts and at the Yerevan Opera Theatre, demanding the release of political prisoners and Pashinyan's resignation. Then, the opposition party Sasna Tsrer held a rally on Yerevan's Freedom Square. The Armenian police, having pulled up additional forces to the area, broke up the rally and arrested its participants.


2020–2021 Armenian protests, Protests, 13 November
A rally organized by 17 opposition parties took in Yerevan throughout the day, demanding the resignation of Pashinyan. The protestors also mourned the fallen Armenians with candelight.


2020–2021 Armenian protests, Protests, 18 November
More protests erupted near the building of the National Assembly of Armenia, demanding Pashinyan's resignation, with the parliamentary opposition boycott the session of the National Assembly.


2020–2021 Armenian protests, Protests, 19 November
More protests erupted in Yerevan, with anti-Pashinyan protestors blocking the streets. The police, trying to restore traffic, pushed the protesters to the sidewalk.


2020–2021 Armenian protests, Protests, 20 November
More protests erupted in Yerevan, with anti-Pashinyan protestors blocking Baghramyan Avenue, and Tigran Mets Avenue. The police units, as well as the military police, intervened, detaining dozens of activists. More protests were reported in others streets of the city, with reported police brutality. In Gyumri, the protestors, demanding the resignation Pashinyan, also blocked the streets.


2020–2021 Armenian protests, Protests, 3 December
Protests erupted in Yerevan against the ceasefire of the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war and the government. Their demands were new parliamentary elections, a new government and also ceding Nagorno-Karabakh from Azerbaijan. The 17 opposition parties in Armenia, which have been staging protests demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, announced that Vazgen Manukyan, Armenia’s first prime minister, is their candidate to lead a proposed “national accord” government. Police clashes with the protesters and then detained protesters. Hundreds attended the protests.


2020–2021 Armenian protests, Protests, 5 December
Mass protests demanding the resignation of the government took place nationwide and chanted against the prime minister. Anti -regime protests saw thousands attend and clap on many streets in cities throughout the country. The protesters marched to the residence of the prime minister. The opposition's candidate for prime minister Vazgen Manukyan gave a speech where he issued an ultimatum to Prime Minister Pashinyan to resign by December 8, and warned him that if he did not leave office voluntarily that "the enraged people would tear him apart".


2020–2021 Armenian protests, Protests, 8 December
Protests resumed in Armenia after Prime Minister Pashinyan ignored the opposition's ultimatum to resign. Hundreds attended the demonstrations in Yerevan and opposition supporters staged anti-government protests and rallies in other cities. The opposition organised acts of civil disobedience and blocked streets in Yerevan.


2020–2021 Armenian protests, Protests, 9 December
On December 9, around 15,000 people protested in Yerevan in front of the Armenian parliament building while Prime Minister Pashinyan addressed the parliament. Pashinyan stated that he would only resign if the people demanded it, and that the demands of the opposition and other groups should not be confused with the demands of the people.


2020–2021 Armenian protests, Protests, 11 December
Several hundred supporters of the opposition protested outside the main government building in Yerevan on December 10 while Pashinyan's government held its session. Police used force to unblock streets and detained 101 protestors in Yerevan.


2020–2021 Armenian protests, Protests, 22 December - 25 December
A strike was called on 22nd December that included support from the subway workers, Yerevan State University members and 17 opposition parties, again calling for the Pashinyan's resignation. The protests grew in size as the opposition set up tents in Republic Square. While there were arrests made, the protests were peaceful. Thousands of protesters marched in the streets of Yerevan in support of the opposition. Pashinyan rejected calls to resign on 23 December and the next day.


2020–2021 Armenian protests, Protests, 22 December - 25 December
On 23 December, Garnik Isagulyan, Chairman of the National Security Party, was arrested for inciting mob violence against Nikol Pashinyan.


2020–2021 Armenian protests, Protests, January 2021
On January 14, the Homeland Salvation Movement announced that it would hold rallies in the provinces of Armenia.


2020–2021 Armenian protests, Protests, January 2021
On January 15, Vazgen Manukyan and other opposition figures met people in Gyumri, and went to Vanadzor the next day. A number of residents of Shirak Province unsuccessfully attempted to prevent Manukyan from entering Gyumri by blocking the highway․ Manukyan later referred to them as "bums" who had been paid by the ruling "My Step" coalition, which prompted criticism.


2020–2021 Armenian protests, Protests, January 2021
On January 26, while holding a rally in the town of Ararat in Ararat Province, Manukyan stated that if the constitutional route to remove Nikol Pashinyan from power did not work, then they would need to carry out a "rebellion", and clarified when asked by journalists that he meant "seizing buildings and forcibly changing the government, of course, without physical violence." The next day the Prosecutor General's Office declared that it had studied the video of Manukyan making this statement and sent it to the National Security Service.


2020–2021 Armenian protests, Protests, January 2021
In an interview given on January 27, ex-president of Armenia and Homeland Salvation Movement supporter Robert Kocharyan declared his intention to participate in the coming snap elections, the date of which has not yet been determined. The opposition's candidate Vazgen Manukyan had earlier rejected the idea of snap elections while Pashinyan remains in power, asserting that Pashinyan would falsify the elections. In early February, opposition leader Ishkhan Saghatelyan of the ARF stated that the coalition members were divided over whether or not to participate in snap elections. The Prosperous Armenia Party, the Homeland Party and ex-president Kocharyan are reportedly in favor of participating, while Serzh Sargsyan's Republican Party is in favor of boycotting snap elections held by Pashinyan's government.


2020–2021 Armenian protests, Protests, January 2021
On January 28, former MP of the Republic of Artsakh Vahan Badasyan, who is not associated with the Homeland Salvation Movement, held a rally at Yerablur Military Pantheon, where he stated that Prime Minister Pashinyan had to be removed as an enemy and "eliminated" if necessary, and when asked by journalists to clarify, he stated "physically [eliminated], by arms." Badasyan was arrested and charged with "making public calls to seize power, violate territorial integrity or violently overthrow the constitutional order."


2020–2021 Armenian protests, Protests, February 2021
On February 23, thousands gathered in opposition protests in downtown Yerevan for the latest protest demanding Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's resignation. Dozens were arrested.


2020–2021 Armenian protests, Protests, February 2021
On February 25, the General Staff of the Armenian Armed Forces released a statement demanding Pashinyan's resignation. The leadership of the Homeland Salvation Movement welcomed the generals' statement and held a rally in Freedom Square in support of the army.


2020–2021 Armenian protests, Protests, February 2021
On 26 February, Tigran Khzmalyan, the Chairman of the European Party of Armenia and former member of the National Democratic Pole, stated that Armenia must remain democratic and to be cautious of Russian interference in Armenia's domestic affairs, during a protest in Yerevan.


2020–2021 Armenian protests, Protests, March 2021
On 5 March, Ara Papian, a key figure of the National Democratic Pole, called for strengthening bilateral relations with the United States and proclaimed that Armenia should increase its cooperation with NATO, during a rally in Yerevan.


2020–2021 Armenian protests, Protests, March 2021
On 15 March, the National Democratic Pole alliance marched in front of the French embassy in Yerevan. Participants called for developing a strategic partnership and greater military cooperation between Armenia and France.


2020–2021 Armenian protests, Protests, March 2021
On 18 March, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced early parliamentary elections, to take place on 20 June 2021.


2020–2021 Armenian protests, Protests, April 2021
On 1 April, a group of five political parties, including the Hanrapetutyun Party, Sovereign Armenia, Fair Armenia, For The Republic and the United Labour Party, signed a joint declaration calling on the Government of Armenia to ensure free and fair upcoming elections, following the on-going political unrest in the country.


2020–2021 Armenian protests, Protests, April 2021
On 9 April, the National Democratic Pole held a large rally in Yerevan, leaders called for an end to "Russian-Turkish" colonization over Armenia and support a fully sovereign Armenia.


2020–2021 Armenian protests, Protests, April 2021
On 15 April, eight political parties, including Heritage, the Social Justice Party, Democratic Homeland Party, Armenian Constructive Party, Hayk Party and the Conservative Party, signed a joint declaration calling on the President of Armenia to ensure that democracy and the Constitution of Armenia is upheld in the country during the on-going political crisis.


2020–2021 Armenian protests, Protests, May 2021
On 9 May, thousands of supporters of former Armenian President Robert Kocharyan and his newly established political alliance, Armenia Alliance, gathered at Freedom Square in Yerevan. The alliance consists of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation and the Reborn Armenia Party.


2020–2021 Armenian protests, Arrests
As of November 11, more than 362 people have been detained by the Armenian police for participating in the protests.


2020–2021 Armenian protests, Arrests
On November 11, Armenian law enforcement officers detained Gagik Tsarukyan, the leader of the Prosperous Armenia Party (Tsarukyan was released the next day), while Armenia's ex-president Serzh Sargsyan was summoned by the Armenian National Security Service for questioning. Then, the National Security Service arrested Eduard Sharmazanov, the press secretary of the Republican Party and the former deputy chairman of the Armenian National Assembly. He was released the next day and later charged with "organization of mass disorder".


2020–2021 Armenian protests, Arrests
On November 12, Artsvik Minasyan, member of the supreme body of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation, Arsen Babayan, member of the Homeland Party, and Ara Hakobyan, chairman of the National Agenda Party, were all summoned by the Armenian NSS. Babayan was later charged with "organization of mass disorder". On the same day, one of the organizers of the rallies, opposition politician and ex-director of the National Security Service Artur Vanetsyan, was arrested for plotting to overthrow the government and kill the country's prime minister Nikol Pashinyan.


2020–2021 Armenian protests, Arrests
Vanetsyan, alongside the ex-head of the Republican Party Vahram Baghdasaryan, ARF politician Ashot Avagyan, as well as commander of the Sisian Volunteer Detachment Ashot Minasyan were charged. All four were released days later after a Yerevan court ruled their detention unlawful. On 13 November, chairman of the supreme council of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation Ishkhan Saghatelyan was summoned to the NSS. On 14 November, another ARF politician Artsvik Minasyan was detained, while MPs representing the Prosperous Armenia Party Naira Zohrabyan, Shake Isayan, Iveta Tonoyan, Vahe Enfiajyan, Gevorg Petrosyan, and Mikayel Melkumyan were summoned to the NSS.


2020–2021 Armenian protests, Arrests
On 20 November, former head of the parliamentary staff Ara Saghatelyan, ex-adviser to the President of Artsakh Tigran Abrahamyan, ex-MP Mihran Hakobyan, activist Narek Malyan, and almost all members of the Adekvad initiative were detained; Malyan and Hakobyan were released the next day. Mihran Hakobyan was charged with "organizing mass disorder" on November 26.


2020–2021 Armenian protests, Analysis
Prior to the general strike, the Director of the Yerevan-based Center for Regional Studies Richard Giragosian stated that he does not expect a sharp change of power due to the rather small scale of the protests and the unpopularity of the opposition. However, he stressed that Pashinyan needs to restore peace and confidence in the coming weeks, which, will not be easy.


2020–2021 Armenian protests, Analysis
EurasiaNet editor Joshua Kucera stated that the Pashinyan government is under threat as many Armenians feel betrayed. "He has many political opponents, and they want to seize the moment to overthrow him."


2020–2021 Ayn Issa clashes
The 2020–2021 Ayn Issa clashes are a series of clashes between the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria and the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA) in Ayn Issa during the Syrian civil war.


2020–2021 Ayn Issa clashes, Background
The line of contact between the Syrian Democratic Forces and Turkish-backed Syrian National Army forces had mainly been focused on Ayn Issa, Raqqa Governorate, with clashes being frequent.


2020–2021 Ayn Issa clashes, Background
During the 2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria, clashes occurred between the SNA and SDF on 20 November 2019 around SDF-controlled Ayn Issa, resulting in the death of eight SNA fighters and four SDF fighters. According to the SDF, the SNA attacked positions in Tell Tamer and villages around Ayn Issa with rockets, UAVs and heavy weapons. As a result of fighting in Ayn Issa, guards of the Ayn Issa refugee camp left their posts to fight the SNA, resulting in several ISIL families housed there to escape the camp.


2020–2021 Ayn Issa clashes, Background
Later in the same day, the SDF launched an offensive to retake Shrekrak village silos from the SNA, shelling SNA positions, with the SNA in turn shelling the surrounding villages controlled by SDF. The SNA advanced towards Ayn Issa, resulting in the death of 13 SNA fighters and six SDF fighters. The SDF managed to regain full control of Ayn Issa and its surroundings after heavy clashes and a counterattack with Russian planes seen flying over Ayn Issa after the failed offensive; by this time, the Kurds and the Syrian government–and therefore Russia–agreed to a joint presence in the region. After the fighting, the SDF further secured villages around Ayn Issa. 21 SNA fighters were killed in the fighting while the SDF's casualties were unknown.


2020–2021 Ayn Issa clashes, Background
Turkey has always had an interest in the area and has widely regarded the SDF units as having ties to the PKK organization, which it regards as a terrorist group. The Turkish incursion into north-eastern Syria ended short of the M4 highway that spans through most of Syria; cutting the highway would be a major blow to the SDF. In early October 2020, Turkey's president Recep Tayyip Erdogan began threatening to launch another offensive into the area calling it a "terrorist zone." On 19 November 2020, military sources from the SDF confirmed that Turkey had set up a military base in the village of Sayda, north of Ain Issa.


2020–2021 Ayn Issa clashes, Clashes, Preliminary shelling
Tensions increased when Turkish and allied forces intensified shelling on Ayn Issa and its surroundings in the northern Raqqa countryside on 23 November, thus violating the October 2019 agreements. Officials stated that the violations had worsened in the past few days. It was reported that 11 SNA and several SDF fighers died during the skirmishes. The next day, it was reported that over 30 SNA fighters were killed during a failed infiltration attempt in the vicinity of Ayn Issa. A few days later a Turkish rocket attack near the town reportedly injured two children and destroyed some houses.


2020–2021 Ayn Issa clashes, Clashes, Preliminary shelling
Because of this and several other incidents, civilians began to flee the area. On 1 December, Turkish bombardments renewed in the village of Sayda and the outskirts of Ayn Issa. Local news media reported on 6 December that SNA fighters supported by Turkish elements intensified their attacks on Ayn Issa amid fears of a new Turkish offensive into the region.


2020–2021 Ayn Issa clashes, Clashes, Preliminary shelling
On December 10, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported that 7,000 people had fled their homes in Ayn Issa over the past month, fearing a Turkish military campaign. There had been daily shelling concentrated on Ayn Issa and its surroundings and the M4 highway. In response to Russia's lack of a response to the developments, residents of the town held two demonstrations.


2020–2021 Ayn Issa clashes, Clashes, Attempted SNA advance
After a week of relative calm, SNA forces backed by Turkish artillery launched an attack on 18 December on the Jahbal and Mushayrifah villages in the eastern countryside of Ain Issa. The factions were unable to capture any new positions. Nine SNA fighters and two SDF fighters were killed during the attack. On 19 December, there were again clashes reported on the same frontline without any territorial changes. The following week was characterized by daily shelling and clashes on the villages of Jahbal and Mushayrifah in the northeastern outskirts of Ain Issa.


2020–2021 Ayn Issa clashes, Clashes, Attempted SNA advance
The clashes included several attempts by the SNA to seize the village of Mushayrifah. This village is seen as a strategic village, as it is located along the M4 international road, which the Turkish backed forces seek to cut off. Meanwhile, an SDF commander criticized Russia's stance in the conflict. In recent talks he accused the Russian counterpart of pressuring the SDF to hand over the lands of Ain Issa to the Syrian government in exchange for Russian protection against the Turkish attacks.


2020–2021 Ayn Issa clashes, Clashes, Attempted SNA advance
The fighting shifted towards the northwestern countryside of Ain Issa in the first week of January 2021. Clashes erupted when the SNA, backed by Turkish artillery, tried to advance on the villages of Khaldiyah and Mu’alaq. The villages witnessed clashes again on January 6, with the SDF managing to destroy a technical belonging to the SNA on the Mu’alaq frontline. Kurdish officials claimed that Turkey is accelerating its efforts to capture more ground in northern Syria during the current presidential transition period in the United States. One official stated that Ankara knows that the upcoming US administration will have a different policy towards the region. And that's the reason why the SDF is getting pressured so heavily around the town of Ain Issa.


2020–2021 Ayn Issa clashes, Clashes, Subsequent skirmishes
After six days of tense calm, clashes renewed on 12 January in the villages of Jahbal and Mushayrifah, following a push by Turkish-backed forces. On 23 January, the SDF reportedly foiled an SNA infiltration attempt on the same front. Three days later, Turkish forces shelled SDF positions on the village of Sayda and the M4 road. While Turkish forces shelled the villages of Khaldiyah, Mu’alaq and Istirahat Saqr in northern Raqqa, Syrian Armed Forces brought tens of soldiers into the 93rd Brigade south of Ain Issa.


2020–2021 Ayn Issa clashes, Clashes, Subsequent skirmishes
Tensions between the SDF-SAA also increased following the Qamishli & Al-Hasakah siege. The SDF has fears that the Syrian government, together with Russia, will strike a deal with Turkey and withdraw from Ain Issa in a betrayal. In exchange, Damascus is seeking a plan to expel rebel forces and end the Turkish military presence from the Idlib Governorate.


2020–2021 Ayn Issa clashes, Clashes, Subsequent skirmishes
On February 21, Russia withdrew from Ayn Issa and Al-Hasakah, seeking to exert pressure on the SDF after it refused to hand over nearby villages and food silos to regime forces. Hours later, Russian forces returned after discontent from the area's residents.


2020–2021 Ayn Issa clashes, Clashes, Subsequent skirmishes
On March 19, a Turkish officer, 3 Turkish backed militants, and 2 SDF fighters were killed according to SOHR after several clashes and exchanges of artillery fire between the two sides. Turkish shelling on Hadriyat village east of Ain Issa resulted in the death of one child, four other people were reportedly wounded.


2020–2021 Ayn Issa clashes, Clashes, Subsequent skirmishes
On March 20, Turkish forces began to use aircraft to target SDF positions around Ain Issa.


2020–2021 Ayn Issa clashes, Clashes, Subsequent skirmishes
On March 21, the SOHR documented the deaths of 5 SDF fighters that had been killed during Turkish bombardments and further clashes in the town. Days later, Turkish-backed forces killed 7 additional members of SDF's Raqqa Military Council.


2020–2021 Ayn Issa clashes, Clashes, Subsequent skirmishes
On April 19, Turkey and Turkish-backed forced shelled positions in Ain Issa, injuring three people at a petrol station.


2020–2021 Belarusian protests
The 2020–2021 Belarusian protests are a series of ongoing political demonstrations and protests against the Belarusian government and President Alexander Lukashenko. The largest anti-government protests in the history of Belarus, the demonstrations began in the lead-up to and during the 2020 presidential election, in which Lukashenko sought his sixth term in office. In response to the demonstrations, a number of relatively small pro-government rallies were held.


2020–2021 Belarusian protests
The protests intensified nationwide after the official election results were announced on the night of 9 August, in which Lukashenko was declared the winner. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the main opponent of Lukashenko, rejected the results as falsified and claimed instead to have received 60–70% of the votes. On 14 August, she announced the creation of the Coordination Council, with membership applications open to all Belarusians who agreed that the official election had been falsified. On 12 October, the Coordination Council issued Lukashenko an ultimatum to cease all repression, free detainees and step down from the presidency by 25 October. After Lukashenko failed to comply, nationwide strikes began on 26 October.


2020–2021 Belarusian protests
On 23 September, Belarusian state media announced that Lukashenko had been inaugurated for another five-year term in a brief ceremony which was held privately. The following day, the EU published a statement that rejected the legitimacy of the election, called for new elections, and condemned the repression and violence against the protesters. On 2 October, the EU introduced sanctions against 40 Belarusian officials accused of political repression and vote-rigging. Lukashenko himself was not included on the list. The Belarusian government responded by imposing symmetrical sanctions against an undisclosed list of EU officials. Moreover, Lukashenko accused the EU and other "Western organizations" of trying to "harm Belarus" by destabilizing the current regime while supporting the opposition.


2020–2021 Belarusian protests
The protesters have faced violent persecution by the authorities. A statement by the United Nations Human Rights Office on 1 September cited more than 450 documented cases of torture and ill-treatment of detainees, as well as reports of sexual abuse and rape. At the end of 2020, the Viasna Human Rights center documented 1,000 testimonies of torture victims.


2020–2021 Belarusian protests, Background
Alexander Lukashenko has been the head of state of Belarus since 1994, and did not have a serious challenger in the previous five elections, resulting in being referred to as "Europe's last dictator" by media outlets. Under his authoritarian rule, the government has frequently repressed the opposition.


2020–2021 Belarusian protests, Background
Lukashenko had faced greater public opposition amid his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, which Lukashenko has denied as a serious threat. Of the five elections won by Lukashenko, only the first one in 1994 was credibly deemed free and fair by international monitors.


2020–2021 Belarusian protests, Before the election
The protests, nicknamed the Slipper Revolution and the Anti- Cockroach Revolution, were initiated by businessman and blogger Sergei Tikhanovsky when he made a reference to the children's poem The Monster Cockroach (Russian: Тараканище, romanized: Tarakanishche) by Korney Chukovsky.


2020–2021 Belarusian protests, Before the election
The original story, published in 1923, concerns a dictatorial yet fragile insect and his brief, chaotic reign of terror over all the other animals. It has been compared to The Emperor's New Clothes. In his reference, Tikhanovsky compared Lukashenko to the cockroach in the story. In the original poem, the cockroach is eventually eaten by a sparrow; Tikhanovsky refers to a slipper signifying stamping on the cockroach.


2020–2021 Belarusian protests, Before the election
Tikhanovsky traveled across Belarus and streamed interviews with random people on his YouTube channel Country for life (Russian: Страна для жизни, romanized: Strana dlya zhizni). Most of his respondents expressed disagreement with Lukashenko and the current government.


2020–2021 Belarusian protests, Before the election
Tikhanovsky was detained in late May 2020 by Belarusian authorities, and was formally accused of being a foreign agent. In June 2020, street protests against Lukashenko took place. Several opposition candidates were registered for the 2020 Belarusian presidential election, but many of them were arrested.


2020–2021 Belarusian protests, Before the election
During an interview, Lukashenko claimed that the opposition protests were a part of a plot orchestrated by foreigners, whom he suggested might be Americans, NATO members, Russians, or even Ukrainians. On 19 June, Lukashenko announced that he had "foiled a coup attempt", resulting in the arrest of main opposition rival Viktar Babaryka. According to CNN, Babaryka stated that the charges of bribery and corruption were falsified and the arrest was politically motivated to stop him from winning the presidential election.


2020–2021 Belarusian protests, Before the election
When Babaryka was detained by authorities, people began walking in the streets to show their disapproval. Opposition activists, protesters, journalists, and bloggers were arrested as part of the crackdown. The human rights group Viasna estimated that around 1,300 people had been detained for protesting between early May and early August.


2020–2021 Belarusian protests, Before the election
Tikhanovsky's wife Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya registered as a candidate in the election after the arrest of Babaryka. Lukashenko insisted the country was not ready for a woman to become president. Unregistered candidate Valery Tsepkalo's wife Veronika Tsepkalo announced that she and Maria Kalesnikava, head of Babaryka's presidential campaign staff, would join Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya's campaign and provide support.


2020–2021 Belarusian protests, Before the election
The protests have led to questions of how long the conflict may last, and whether it will escalate into violence, possibly evolving into a full revolution, akin to how the Euromaidan protests turned into a revolution in Ukraine in 2014. The German Marshall Fund, a US think tank, noted that the protests were more widespread, and more brutally repressed than previous protests in Belarus.


2020–2021 Belarusian protests, Before the election
The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) reported that it would not be monitoring the 2020 election as it wasn't invited to do so. This was the first time since 2001 that the OSCE's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) did not monitor elections in Belarus. The OSCE has not recognized any elections in Belarus as free and fair since 1995, and the government has obstructed past OSCE election-monitoring missions in the country.


2020–2021 Belarusian protests, Before the election, May protests
On 24 May, hundreds protested against president Alexander Lukashenko and his decision to run for the 2020 Belarusian presidential election. Anti -government protesters held slippers as a sign of protest against the regime. Rallies and demonstrations continued strongly throughout May and June. On 27 May, protesters marched throughout the country and clashed with police. Slippers were pelted at the police and chants such as "You Cockroach" and "Resign you Rat" were heard. Elderly women and men protested daily until the elections. Balaclava-wearing police were then seen arresting popular YouTuber Sergei Tikhanovsky.


2020–2021 Belarusian protests, Before the election, June–July
As protests drew more and more crowds, police began to use harsher tactics. During demonstrations demanding the release of prisoners and the resignation of the government on 2 and 3 June, police arrested and used pepper spray on demonstrators to disperse them. 5,000 protesters then rallied in Minsk from 5–7 June to demand the resignation of the government and president Alexander Lukashenko. Daily demonstrations continued despite heavy rain. Students, workers, teachers, and others protested for weeks until 6 August. Tear gas and rubber bullets were fired at protesters as they threw slippers.


2020–2021 Belarusian protests, Before the election, Presidential campaign
On 29 July, 33 alleged mercenaries from the Wagner Group, a Russian private military company, were arrested in a sanatorium near Minsk. Lukashenko accused Russia of lying about the arrested "mercenaries", saying "So far there is no open warfare, no shooting, the trigger has not yet been pulled, but an attempt to organize a massacre in the center of Minsk is already obvious." Belarusian authorities claimed that Tikhanovsky was working with Russians to destabilize Belarus. All but one of the mercenaries, who is a Belarusian national and remains in custody, were deported to Russia on 14 August despite a request from Ukraine for their extradition.


2020–2021 Belarusian protests, Before the election, Presidential campaign
On 30 July, a permitted rally of presidential candidate Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya took place in the Friendship of Peoples Park in Minsk. According to human rights activists, 63,000–70,000 people gathered, but a statement from the Belarusian Interior Ministry alleged that only 18,250 people had been recorded passing through the metal-detecting checkpoints set up at the event.


2020–2021 Belarusian protests, Before the election, Presidential campaign
On 6 August an estimated 5,000 peaceful protesters took to the streets in Minsk, waving white ribbons, calling for free and fair elections.


2020–2021 Belarusian protests, Election day
On 9 August, all roads and entry points to Minsk were blocked by the police and army early in the morning.


2020–2021 Belarusian protests, Election day
In the middle of the day, the Internet in Belarus was partially blocked. Government officials claimed that the reason was a heavy denial-of-service attack originating from outside Belarus. However, independent IT specialists claimed that the Belarusian state Internet monopoly Beltelecom and affiliated state agencies deliberately used deep packet inspection (DPI) technology or traffic shaping, and that issues with the filtering equipment used may have been the cause. Telegram was the only working instant messaging application.


2020–2021 Belarusian protests, Election day
In the evening of the election day immediately after the close of polling stations, the Belarusian government-sponsored TV aired exit poll results showing a supposed landslide with Lukashenko receiving 80.23% of the votes, and Tsikhanouskaya receiving 9.9%. The landslide was so great that even pro-government parts of the Belarusian population found that it was unlikely to be true. This caused an immediate reaction by supporters of Tsikhanouskaya to head to the streets in all major cities in Belarus, such as Brest, Minsk, Viciebsk, Hrodna, Mazyr, Pinsk, Homel, and Babruisk.


2020–2021 Belarusian protests, Election day
Protesters were expressing their dissatisfaction and were calling for a fair count of votes. Protests started as peaceful in the middle of the night, but in Minsk, the situation escalated into violence between protesters and authorities. Protesters started building barricades to block traffic on the streets. The number of protesters in Minsk could not be measured as they were not concentrated in a single spot.


2020–2021 Belarusian protests, Election day
At night, after breaking up big crowds, police officers chased smaller groups of protesters through downtown Minsk for several hours. A fight against security forces and police continued in the major cities of Belarus. Law enforcement officers used police batons, rubber bullets (fired from shotguns), grenades with lead balls, water cannons, tear gas, and stun grenades. They used them to suppress the protests as people were chased in the suburbs all night. In Brest, protesters gradually dispersed, leaving a crowd of 200–300 from an estimated previous total of 5,000. That night in Minsk, security forces dropped grenades near people, and leaving some with critical injuries.


2020–2021 Belarusian protests, Election day
People were reported to be arrested while waiting for the election results near their polling stations. In Minsk, a 73-year-old man with a daughter and grandchildren were arrested with nearly 20 other people who gathered near the 86th school after the closure of the polling station. It was reported that they were sentenced to 10 and 25 days in jail. In Baranavichy, two Roman Catholic priests were arrested among others; they were waiting for the results near their polling station.


2020–2021 Belarusian protests, Timeline, 2020, August
As the protests swept across Belarus following the election results, the primary opposition candidate Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya published a video saying that she left Belarus for Lithuania. She was presumed to have been coerced to leave while also submitting a complaint to the CEC (Central Election Commission of Belarus).


2020–2021 Belarusian protests, Timeline, 2020, August
On 11 August, during the evening, the protests continued in the major cities of Belarus, including Brest, Homel, Hrodna, Mahiliou, Viciebsk, Baranavichy, Maladzyechna, Navahrudak, Navapolatsk and Zhodzina. In Minsk, protesters changed their tactics, switching positions from one part of the city to another, similar to the "be water" tactics used in the 2019–2020 protests in Hong Kong. Protesters barricaded the area around the Riga Market in the center of Minsk. Government forces responded by tear-gassing the protesters and using stun grenades. Authorities threw stun grenades and fired rubber bullets at the protesters at close range. A protester, Alexander Taraikovsky, died near Pushkinskaya metro station.


2020–2021 Belarusian protests, Timeline, 2020, August
The stun grenades purportedly originated in the Czech Republic, which had imposed an embargo on selling the devices to Belarus after the suppression of the 2010 elections.


2020–2021 Belarusian protests, Timeline, 2020, August
The government's riot police (AMAP/OMON), internal troops, and anti-terrorist "Almaz" elite special force participated in the suppression of the protests in Minsk. Water cannons were used near the Riga Market, and rubber bullets were widely used. Mass protests were reported. It was reported that AMAP/OMON squads seized some ambulances or used visually similar vans to deceive the protesters into allowing them through the barricades.


2020–2021 Belarusian protests, Timeline, 2020, August
Five days later, the Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta wrote that the beatings and arrests that occurred on 10 August 2020 were ordered by the retired commander of Military Unit 3214 of the Internal Troops of Belarus, Dmitri Pavlichenko. He had previously been arrested for serious crimes.


2020–2021 Belarusian protests, Timeline, 2020, August
On 11 August, the protests resumed in Minsk and other major cities. Rubber bullets and stun grenades were widely used. One death was reported, with Hienadz Shutau, in critical condition and with severe brain damage as of 14 August, succumbed to his injuries on 19 August in Minsk.


2020–2021 Belarusian protests, Timeline, 2020, August
Molotov cocktails were thrown at security officials in Minsk. Activists built barricades and burned tires near the Riga Market. Telegram channel Nexta, used by the opposition, published messages alleging violence by law enforcement officers. Telegram published aggressive vocabulary against law enforcement, such as "punishers" and "fascists". Telegram was one of the few accessible resources during a concurrent internet blackout and VPN usage was ubiquitous, with Psiphon usage skyrocketing. On the evening of 11 August, while the Internet shutdown continued, 45 percent of people using Telegram protest chats in Belarus were online, despite the government's efforts to block online access.


2020–2021 Belarusian protests, Timeline, 2020, August
In Homel, a 25-year-old man died on 12 August after waiting in a security forces detainee van for many hours in hot weather. He had a heart condition and wasn't given proper medical attention in time. Also in Homel, relatives and friends of over 500 arrested people were not allowed to visit them. The local police did not disclose any information about their relatives. It was also reported that a policewoman abused an arrested woman there.


2020–2021 Belarusian protests, Timeline, 2020, August
During widespread protests in Hrodna, a 5-year-old was injured, and their father was arrested after the car they were in was rammed by government forces.


2020–2021 Belarusian protests, Timeline, 2020, August
On 12 August, people in Minsk and later in other cities lined up on the streets to protest against the government's suppression. The majority of the protesters were women wearing white clothes. Former members of the Belarusian military, police and special forces expressed their solidarity with the opposition by publishing videos publicly throwing their uniforms in the garbage, condemning violent acts by the security forces, and calling on the authorities to stop opposing the will of the people.


2020–2021 Belarusian protests, Timeline, 2020, August
On the same day, the Belarus Interior Minister stated that a "shoot to kill" policy in cases of self-defense was permitted.


2020–2021 Belarusian protests, Timeline, 2020, August
In many places in Minsk, riot police were observed moving in ambulances and shooting at people, stopping near crowds, which is a violation of the 1949 Geneva Convention.


2020–2021 Belarusian protests, Timeline, 2020, August
On 13 August, many lines of protesters demonstrating in solidarity against violence by the police were observed, including thousands of women dressed in white. Strikes of workers in several state-owned factories also took place.


2020–2021 Belarusian protests, Timeline, 2020, August
Numerous reports of different law violations in Belarusian prisons (severe overcrowding, beating, and abuses against prisoners, including torture) were submitted.


2020–2021 Belarusian protests, Timeline, 2020, August
On 14 August, peaceful protests continued nationwide. Workers from Minsk Tractor Works also joined the protest in front of the Government House in Minsk. They took part in a massive march carrying banners claiming that 16,000 workers were supporting this protest. According to the Independent, "a group of soldiers guarding the building lowered their shields, appearing to side with the protesters".


2020–2021 Belarusian protests, Timeline, 2020, August
There were multiple incidents of police expressing support for and even embracing protesters.


2020–2021 Belarusian protests, Timeline, 2020, August
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya asked Belarusian authorities to stop the violence, "engage in dialogue", and call on mayors to organize peaceful rallies across the country over the weekend.


2020–2021 Belarusian protests, Timeline, 2020, August
On 15 August, post-election protests continued to grow. For the first time, government-supported television demonstrated episodes of what was happening on the Belarusian streets without any censorship. They streamed a farewell ceremony for the murdered during a peaceful protest on 10 August. The Associated Press released a video showing the moment when Alexander Taraikovsky was killed.


2020–2021 Belarusian protests, Timeline, 2020, August
It was reported that Lukashenko's authorities asked Kremlin representatives about the possibility of Lukashenko escaping to Russia. Furthermore, it was reported that Russia admitted that Lukashenko's resignation as the head of state was likely. The editor-in-chief of the anti-government website Charter 97 claimed that Russian troops were concentrated along the Belarus-Russia border in preparation for a potential invasion, possibly within the next 48 hours. It was also reported that Lukashenko spoke to President Putin with both sides expressing confidence that all existing problems would be settled soon, the possibility of foreign mediation was firmly rejected by Lukashenko.


2020–2021 Belarusian protests, Timeline, 2020, August
Peaceful demonstrations took place in several cities, including Moscow, where 400 mainly wearing white formed a chain near the Belarusian Embassy in support of the protesters.


2020–2021 Belarusian protests, Timeline, 2020, August
Some protesters in Minsk expressed solidarity with the anti-government Khabarovsk Krai protests in the Russian Far East.


2020–2021 Belarusian protests, Timeline, 2020, August
On 16 August, Lukashenko's supporters were bussed into Minsk from various places across the country for a pro-Lukashenko rally, which had a much smaller turnout than the opposition demonstrations, which were the largest yet. The Belarusian Interior Ministry claimed a turnout of 65,000 at the pro-Lukashenko rally. A Reuters reporter estimated a turnout of 5,000. In a speech to supporters, Lukashenko said he would not step down, claimed that NATO was amassing "military power on the western borders", and warned supporters not to test him or they would be "beggars and struggle to live". Lukashenko also rejected calls for new elections. NATO rejected Lukashenko's claims. Right before the speech, Lukashenko called Russian President Putin for the second time in two days.


2020–2021 Belarusian protests, Timeline, 2020, August
Opposition groups called for a "National March for Freedom" in Minsk and similar marches to occur in cities and towns across the country. Supporters were asked to converge on government buildings and call for the immediate release of all political prisoners, for those responsible for the deaths and torture of protesters to be brought to justice and for the resignation of Alexander Lukashenko. Organizers estimated that 100,000–220,000 people attended the Minsk demonstration. Many were carrying red and white flags. The Belarusian press reported that persons in civilian clothes made arbitrary detentions of opposition supporters after the Minsk rally.


2020–2021 Belarusian protests, Timeline, 2020, August
Later that evening, it was reported that former Prime Minister of Belarus, Syarhey Rumas, who was dismissed by Lukashenko in June 2020, had posted a message of support for the anti-Lukashenko protesters on his Instagram account. Earlier, Rumas's wife had published a photograph of herself and Rumas on the roof of a building overlooking the protests and a message of support.


2020–2021 Belarusian protests, Timeline, 2020, August
Lukashenko had announced that an air assault brigade would hold week-long unscheduled maneuvers starting 17 August in western Belarus, before announcing that NATO forces were "at the gates" and threatening the country, prompting President Putin to offer military assistance, opening a possibility of Belarus being taken over through annexation or as a "union state". In the early morning of 17 August, several military trucks carrying unmarked soldiers were spotted heading towards Minsk on the M1 "Belarus" highway in Russia.


2020–2021 Belarusian protests, Timeline, 2020, August
On 17 August, Lukashenko was booed and shouted at when he gave a speech at the Minsk wheel tractor plant. He told the audience they would have to kill him to get another election. Meanwhile, a broadcast by the state TV showed empty news desks as TV presenters had walked out on strike. Members of the European Parliament issued a joint statement stating that they did not recognize Alexander Lukashenko as the president of Belarus and considered him a persona non grata in the European Union. The joint statement also proclaimed that reliable information showed that Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya won the presidential election.


2020–2021 Belarusian protests, Timeline, 2020, August
On the same day, Tsikhanouskaya released a video in which she stated that she was ready to lead a transitional government and organize a new, free, and fair presidential election. Lukashenko conceded that an early presidential election could be held if a new constitution is adopted, after it has been drafted and a referendum is held and passed. The Prime Minister of Belarus, Roman Golovchenko, and his cabinet resigned in accordance with the constitution following the election.


2020–2021 Belarusian protests, Timeline, 2020, August
Pavel Latushko, director of the Yanka Kupala National Theatre in Minsk and former minister of culture, who had previously condemned the violence and cautiously supported the protests, was fired by the Belarusian Ministry of Culture.


2020–2021 Belarusian protests, Timeline, 2020, August
Miners of the Belaruskali potash company in Salihorsk went on strike, refusing to go down the mines, leading to BMZ Steel Works in Zhlobin suspending work of the steel furnaces. BMZ workers announced an indefinite strike if their requirements were not met. Thousands of workers of Minsk Tractor Works (MTZ), Minsk Automobile Works (MAZ), Minsk Motor Works (MMZ; ru), Minsk electrotechnical factory (METZ; ru) and other factories marched through the city to the headquarters of the largest state TV company and other locations. BelAZ workers in Zhodzina were intimidated by the company management, and their protest rally was postponed. A number of other factories suspended work temporarily in a warning strike or organized rallies with political demands (including the Naftan oil refinery and "Polimir" chemical factory in Navapolatsk, the glass fiber factory in Polatsk, and the Hrodna Azot fertilizer factory).


2020–2021 Belarusian protests, Timeline, 2020, August
It was reported that 76 people disappeared during the protests in Belarus as of 17 August, because they are not on the list of arrested and convicted. Igor Leshchenya, the Belarusian ambassador to Slovakia who sided with the protesters and the first official to do so, said that he does not think there is a threat of Russian military intervention, stating that it was in the interests of Russia "to support new free and fair elections". He also said that a new election was inevitable.


2020–2021 Belarusian protests, Timeline, 2020, August
On 18 August, it was reported that international companies in retail, banking, mobile, and food sectors had started pulling their advertising campaigns from Belarusian TV channels, including the state TV. German Chancellor Angela Merkel spoke to Vladimir Putin, saying that the Belarusian government must avoid using force against peaceful protesters, immediately release political prisoners and start a national dialogue. In response, Putin warned Merkel that foreign interference in the ex-Soviet state would be unacceptable.


2020–2021 Belarusian protests, Timeline, 2020, August
The troupe of Yanka Kupala National Theater in Minsk resigned en-masse. An extract of a letter from Maria Kalesnikava (a member of Tsikhanouskaya's presidium) was published by Ekho Moskvy radio station stating that Belarus should respect all of its existing agreements with Russia, that Russia was an important partner (within the Union State of Russia and Belarus), and that recent tensions were because of Lukashenko.


2020–2021 Belarusian protests, Timeline, 2020, August
Workers from various additional factories and postal workers joined the strikes and the Komsomolskaya Pravda v Belarusi newspaper said it was unable to print its Tuesday edition focusing on protests over the weekend, before announcing it had secured another publisher that would produce its print edition a day late.


2020–2021 Belarusian protests, Timeline, 2020, August
The Belarusian Telegraph Agency issued a misleading video purporting to show Belarusian protesters being violent. Pictures from Belarus were mixed with pictures from the 2019 protests in Catalonia. Demonstrations supporting Lukashenko took place in Mahiliou, Homel, and Khotsimsk. During the pro-Lukashenko rally in Mahiliou, a helicopter flew over the attendees with the state flag, while another state flag was taken off the local government building where it was hung. In Mahiliou, one of the activists marching near the executive committee building was deliberately injured by a hit-and-run driver, with no medically significant outcome. In a statement made on 18 August 2020, Prime Minister Roman Golovchenko stated that, "to date, all enterprises in the real sector of the economy are operating normally, conveyors are not stopped anywhere."


2020–2021 Belarusian protests, Timeline, 2020, August
On 19 August, the OMON forces dispersed the protesters that had gathered in the morning at the entrance to Minsk Tractor Works; two people were detained. 300 employees at the Minsk Tractor Works reportedly lost their jobs for demonstrating. Other workers were locked in the factory to stop them from walking out. The same day, Alexei Petkevich, endoscopist and employee of the Republican Clinical Medical center in Minsk, announced that on 14 August, he resigned his job in protest of the mass beatings of the detained protesters, stating, "I was shocked by what I saw. Our people were humiliated and torn to pieces". Natalya Volvacheva, the headmaster of Polatsk school No. 5, also resigned in protest, saying, "My colleagues have been broken down by threats, turned into criminals, and made hostages of the system".


2020–2021 Belarusian protests, Timeline, 2020, August
Over 200 Belarusian sportsmen and sportswomen, sports journalists and employees of the sports sphere (Yelena Leuchanka, Mikalai Kazeka, Volha Mazuronak, Maryna Arzamasava, Aliaksandra Ramanouskaya, Stepan Popov, and many others) signed an open letter to Alexander Lukashenko, where, among other things, demanded that the last presidential election be invalidated, all the persons detained during the protests be released, all the political prisoners be released and rehabilitated, and those responsible for the beatings and "bestial abuses" of the detainees be identified and punished.


2020–2021 Belarusian protests, Timeline, 2020, August
Human Rights Watch noted that most of the protests had been peaceful and described the police round-ups as "systemically brutal." The Belarusian central election committee said that Lukashenko would be inaugurated as president for a new term within the next two months. Lukashenko ordered the police to quell all protests in Minsk and tightened border controls, introduced checks on people entering the TV station, and told all state workers they will lose their jobs if they protest, with workers reportedly being brought in from Russia to replace striking workers. Two pro-Lukashenko rallies were held in Barysaw and Babruisk, both of which also featured police helicopters with the state flag. A third pro-Lukashenko rally was also held in Minsk. Others were held in the towns of Luninets and Staryya Darohi.


2020–2021 Belarusian protests, Timeline, 2020, August
Most of the staff of Radio Stalitsa of the state-owned National State Television and Radio Company of the Republic of Belarus resigned in solidarity with the demonstrators. There currently are no broadcasts on the station except for sports news. A demonstration of hundreds chanting "resign" and "let them out" in the evening outside the Interior Ministry in Minsk was allowed to continue peacefully with no police interference.


2020–2021 Belarusian protests, Timeline, 2020, August
On 20 August, Alexander Konyuk, Prosecutor General of Belarus, initiated criminal proceedings against the members of the Coordination Council under Article 361 of the Belarusian Criminal Code, on the grounds of attempting to seize state power and harming national security. Council members Sergei Dylevsky and Maxim Znak were summoned for police questioning. Four members of the security forces resigned in solidarity with the demonstrators. Lukashenko has called some of the protesters "Nazis". Another pro-Lukashenko rally was held in Minsk at Independence Square, with another helicopter bearing a state flag flying over the demonstrators.


2020–2021 Belarusian protests, Timeline, 2020, August
At the same time, a separate rally was also held at the Lenin monument in front of the Government House in Minsk, only to be outnumbered by anti-Lukashenko demonstrators. In response, some pro-Lukashenko demonstrators joined the opposition protest, while others left the rally. Traffic in Minsk was halted by a drivers' strike, honking their horns and abandoning their vehicles in support of protesters. A small group of Lukashenko supporters were seen in Hrodna handing out state flags and other pro-government material to passersby. A pro-government rally was held at a stadium in Slutsk, after which rally attendees approached a solidarity chain formed by opponents of Lukashenko and attempted to snatch Belarusian opposition flags from the protesters.


2020–2021 Belarusian protests, Timeline, 2020, August
On 21 August, presidential candidate Hanna Kanapatskaya filed an appeal against the official election result with the Supreme Court of Belarus. French President Emmanuel Macron and Angela Merkel, Chancellor of Germany offered to mediate between the Government of Belarus, the opposition, and civil society. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya held a press conference for the international media in which she said she hoped to return to Belarus when it was safe for her to do so. She urged all countries to respect their sovereignty and called on protesters to step up their strikes despite "intimidation".


2020–2021 Belarusian protests, Timeline, 2020, August
Chair of the Belarus Athletic Federation, Olympic athlete and former member of the House of Representatives, Vadim Devyatovskiy, posted a message on his Facebook page in which he said "Lukashenko is not my President!!!!!" and stated that his previous support for the regime was a "delusion" and "betrayal". The leader of the strike at Minsk automobile plant, Yevgeny Bokhvalov, had been arrested whilst an organizer of the strike at the Belaruskali potash factory in Salihorsk, Dmitry Kudelevich, was detained before escaping through a toilet window and fleeing to Ukraine.


2020–2021 Belarusian protests, Timeline, 2020, August
The Prime Minister of Albania Edi Rama, chairperson of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), said the group was heading to Minsk to meet with the government and the opposition to look at mediation. A pro-government rally was held in Homel where tractors could be seen with the state flags. A small number of cars could also be seen waving the state flag by Independence Square in Minsk.


2020–2021 Belarusian protests, Timeline, 2020, August
On 22 August, the Chairman of the Hrodna Region Executive Committee, Vladimir Kravtsov, was dismissed by Lukashenko and replaced by former health minister Vladimir Karanik. Lukashenko appeared at a pro-government rally in Hrodna later that afternoon. During the rally, Lukashenko called on the military to defend the western border of Belarus, accusing Warsaw and Vilnius of being behind the protests. Lukashenko warned that "this is not only our border, this is the border of the Union State, this is the CSTO border, and the response will be appropriate."


2020–2021 Belarusian protests, Timeline, 2020, August
He also defended his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, saying "You didn't believe me when I said, 'You don't need to isolate people.' What are Westerners saying now?" Lukashenko called out striking workers from the state-owned Hrodnazhylbud construction company, saying "We will do even without Hrodnazhylbud, we have enough builders in the country", and also called out priests participating in the protests, quoting that "People should come to the temples to pray. Churches...are not for politics." Several journalists were detained at the rally. Opposition supporters organized a woman's march against police violence in Minsk which culminated in a vigil at Independence Square where the assembled crowd was addressed by Maria Kalesnikava and Pavel Latushko. Opposition rallies were also held in Hrodna and Brest.


2020–2021 Belarusian protests, Timeline, 2020, August
On 23 August, a rally of approximately 250,000 people dubbed "the march for a new Belarus" began at 14:00 in Minsk and headed towards Independence Square. Similar rallies were also organized in other cities and towns across the country. Human chains in solidarity with the Belarusian democracy movement were organized in other countries, including one that stretched from Vilnius to the border with Belarus. Military vehicles were seen on the streets of Minsk and roadblocks and checkpoints were established on the main roads leading into the city.


2020–2021 Belarusian protests, Timeline, 2020, August
The army also assumed responsibility for the protection of statues and monuments from local police forces. The area around the Belarusian Great Patriotic War Museum, where protesters had gathered the previous week, was blocked off with barbed wire. It was reported that people were detained by armed officers in military uniform near the museum. The rally later passed the museum where Maria Kalesnikava urged participants to not antagonize security personnel.


2020–2021 Belarusian protests, Timeline, 2020, August
Later in the afternoon, the rally moved onward toward State Flag Square and the Independence Palace where protesters faced off against security forces who had set up a roadblock. It was reported that Alexander Lukashenko was in residence at the palace. There were also reports that a presidential helicopter was seen heading towards the palace and that it had landed in the grounds at 19:05. Footage later emerged showing Lukashenko walking near the helicopter, wearing a bullet proof vest and holding an AKS-74U without a magazine and then walking around the palace grounds.


2020–2021 Belarusian protests, Timeline, 2020, August
In the latter footage, Lukashenko was heard saying "Leave me alone," and "There is no one left there, right?". His 15-year-old son, Nikolai, was seen with him dressed in military uniform and holding a gun. In a third video, he is seen surveying protesters from a helicopter and is heard saying "How the rats ran away" in an apparent reference to the protesters. In a fourth video, Lukashenko was seen removing the former flag of Belarus from a flower bed, waving at security personnel whilst telling them they were "handsome" and referred to protesters, saying "we will deal with them".


2020–2021 Belarusian protests, Timeline, 2020, August
Large groups of security personnel were later seen heading towards the center of Minsk and military helicopters were seen flying over parts of the city. Authorities asked mobile operators to restrict 3G access to parts of Minsk at around 18:30 local time. The presidential helicopter was seen leaving the palace at about 20:47 and it was unknown if Lukashenko was on board or not. The official representative of the Ministry of Internal Affairs claimed that 30,000 people attended pro-government demonstrations in the past day, against 6,100 attending anti-government demonstrations.


2020–2021 Belarusian protests, Timeline, 2020, August
On 24 August, presidium members of the Coordination Council, Sergei Dylevsky and Olga Kovalkova were detained by security services when attempting to support striking workers at the Minsk Tractor Works factory. Three other presidium members, Svetlana Alexievich, Liliya Vlasova and Pavel Latushko, were also summoned for questioning. Police appeared to be less tolerant of protests, rallies and strikes, actively breaking up lines of solidarity in Minsk and arresting leaders of strikes at state-owned enterprises. Despite increased police presence, groups of protesters were still able to gather in Independence Square in Minsk, where they shouted "Leave!


2020–2021 Belarusian protests, Timeline, 2020, August
", and also in Hrodna and in Brest. Alexander Lukashenko issued a statement in which he threatened dismissal for school teachers who do not follow "state ideology". An employee of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was fired after he had attended an anti-Lukashenko rally the previous week with another Ministry employee. The Government of Lithuania handed a note of protest to the Belarusian ambassador in Vilnius accusing the Belarusian armed forces of violating Lithuanian airspace by as much as 3 km the previous day. Belarus claimed that its air force was attempting to prevent balloons depicting the former white-red-white flag of Belarus, which was described as an "anti-state symbol", from crossing the border.


2020–2021 Belarusian protests, Timeline, 2020, August
25 August marked the 29th anniversary of the declaration of independence of Belarus from the Soviet Union and the re-adoption of the white-red-white flag. Olga Kovalkova appeared in court via video link on charges of illegally organizing a strike and Pavel Latushko presented himself to the KGB for questioning. Both Kovalkova and Sergei Dylevsky were sentenced to 10 days imprisonment. A group of teachers organized a protest outside the headquarters of the education ministry in Minsk in relation to possible dismissals for teachers who supported opposition protests or refused to promote state ideology.


2020–2021 Belarusian protests, Timeline, 2020, August
In the early evening, a rally was held in Independence Square in Minsk, which was addressed by some of the members of the Supreme Council session that declared Belarus an independent state in 1991. A pro-Lukashenko demonstration, dubbed "Belarus is Lukashenko", was also held in Minsk. During the demonstration, anti-Lukashenko protesters were described as "Satanists" and told to "go to Hell", some participants mocked journalists covering the event and waved Russian flags. An employee of the Belarusian embassy in India was fired after declaring his support for the protests.


2020–2021 Belarusian protests, Timeline, 2020, August
On 26 August, residents began recall proceedings against at least 20 members of the House of Representatives. Coordination Council member and Nobel Prize laureate Svetlana Alexievich was summoned for interrogation but refused to answer any questions and was subsequently released. The home of opposition figure Valery Tsepkalo was raided by police. A group of about 500 employees of BelAZ marched from their place of work to the center of Zhodzina. By late evening, a group of anti-Lukashenko demonstrators had gathered on Independence Square in Minsk.


2020–2021 Belarusian protests, Timeline, 2020, August
At around 20:30, security forces began to disperse the crowd, encircling demonstrators and detaining several people. At the same time, mobile internet was turned off in Minsk at the request of the authorities. Security forces locked the doors of the Saints Simon and Helena Roman Catholic church trapping around 100 people inside. The Catholic Auxiliary Bishop of Minsk-Mahiliou, Yury Kasabutsky, protested against the actions of the security forces, calling them illegal.


2020–2021 Belarusian protests, Timeline, 2020, August
On 27 August, Alexander Lukashenko asked the Russian government to raise a reserve force for deployment to Belarus if necessary. The Government of Belarus declined an offer from the heads of the governments of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania to visit Minsk to help mediate between the government and the opposition. In the afternoon, around 20 journalists, from both local and international media, were detained on Freedom Square in Minsk. They were taken to the Kastrychnitski district police, supposedly to check their identity and accreditation.


2020–2021 Belarusian protests, Timeline, 2020, August
Later that day, a group of Christians carrying Bibles had gathered outside the Saints Simon and Helena Roman Catholic Church on Independence Square, Minsk in protest of the desecration of the church by the security services that had occurred the previous day. The entrance to the church was blocked by security forces to prevent people from entering or leaving the church. A crowd of demonstrators later formed on Independence Square outside the church which was surrounded by the security forces. Women and children were allowed to leave the square but men were prevented from doing so.


2020–2021 Belarusian protests, Timeline, 2020, August
At least 150 people were detained. Many of the people who were dispersed from the demonstration on Independence Square continued to march through the city, singing religious songs and chanting anti-government slogans. A pro-Lukashenko rally was held in front of the Belarus supermarket in Minsk, but it was ended abruptly by rain.


2020–2021 Belarusian protests, Timeline, 2020, August
On 28 August, anti-Lukashenko demonstrators again gathered on Independence Square in Minsk. The demonstration was broken up by security forces, which had encircled the square. Male demonstrators were rounded up and placed into police vans and taken away for questioning. Female demonstrators were allowed to leave the square. Security forces broke up an anti-Lukashenko rally on Pushkin Street in Minsk. Access to several anti-government websites was blocked. A pro-Lukashenko bike ride was held in Minsk led by Alexander Lukashenko's son Viktor Lukashenko.


2020–2021 Belarusian protests, Timeline, 2020, August
On 29 August, a pro-government rally and an anti-government bikers rally took place in Minsk. Barriers were installed around the Independence Palace, Victory Square and October Square in Minsk and buses with their windows blacked out were seen around Freedom Square in the city. Unidentified vehicles with Russian number plates were seen driving around Minsk. A woman's solidarity march, numbering approximately five thousand people, began on Independence Avenue at 16:00 and headed towards Independence Square. Riot police attempted to block its progress, but the march was able to pass.


2020–2021 Belarusian protests, Timeline, 2020, August
By 19:00, the rally had grown at approximately fifteen thousand people and was heading towards Bangalore Square, again overpowering security forces that tried to block its progress. At least two journalists from Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and one journalist from TUT.BY were detained at this rally. An anti-Lukashenko demonstration was also held in Brest. Solidarity demonstrations took place in Jerusalem and in Frankfurt.