Tens of thousands of Belarusian opposition supporters yesterday gathered in Minsk to join a “March for Freedom” over Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko’s disputed re-election.
Chanting “Leave!” the protesters marched down Independence Avenue following an opposition call for the biggest rally yet in a week of demonstrations since the vote.
Columns of demonstrators raised victory signs and held flowers and balloons. Many wore white, the color that has come to symbolize the opposition movement. Those marching included a group of veteran paratroopers in uniform berets.
Photo: AP
Demonstrators held placards with slogans such as “We are against violence,” and “Lukashenko must answer for the torture and dead.”
Protesters walked through the city carrying a 100m-long red-and-white flag, once the state flag and now used to represent opposition to the current regime.
They chanted “Long live Belarus!” and called for Lukashenko to leave as cars honked horns in support.
The protests came as Lukashenko held a rally for supporters in central Minsk, urging them to save the country from destruction.
He warned of a threat from neighboring NATO countries as well as from the opposition movement calling for new elections, as the crowd shouted “No!”
“If we kowtow to them, we will go into a tailspin and will never stabilize our aircraft,” he said.
“I’m not a fan of rallies but alas, it’s not my fault I had to call you to help me,” the 65-year-old said as about 10,000 supporters waved national flags and shouted “Thank you,” and “Belarus!”
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin told Lukashenko in a telephone call yesterday that Moscow stood ready to provide help in accordance with a collective military pact if necessary, the Kremlin said in a statement.
The Kremlin said that external pressure was being applied to Belarus. It did not say by whom.
Additional reporting by Reuters
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