No arrests on Freedom Day in Minsk (Photo, video)

Dozens of riot policemen were put against the peaceful rally on Freedom Day in Minsk.

Freedom Day is marked in Belarus every year on March 25. This holiday is dedciated to declaration of the Belarusian People's Republic, which was a starting point of independent Belarus.

This year, on the 92th anniversary of foundation of the Belarusian People's Republic, the organizers of the action, the Belarusian Popular Front, filed an application for a permission to hold a march from the building of the National Academy of Science to Yanka Kupala park, planning to hold a meeting there. But Minsk authorities banned this route traditionally sending the march away from the centre of the city, to a bedroom district, Bangalore Square. The organizers of the rally stated that they wouldn't go to the "swamp" and participants of the rally would decide themselves where they would go after the Academy of Sciences.

Before the rally of the opposition in Minsk and in other cities preventive arrests of oppositionists were not held this time. On the day of the festive event in the Belarusian capital activists of "Young Belarus" Tsimafei Dranchuk and Anton Ruzau were detained. They were detained when they were making pictures of oppositionists who were hanging white-red-white flags in Minsk. In the regions policemen and traffic policemen detained pro-democracy activists who tried to get to the action in Minsk. Preventive detentions of oppositionists in Lida and Babruisk were held under this scenario.

In spite of police’s attempts to hinder holding the demonstration, it started near the Academy of Science at 6 p.m., as planned. More than 1500 people gathered to celebrate the 92nd anniversary of proclamation of the Belarusian National Republic.

Leader of the civil campaign European Belarus Andrei Sannikov, BPF party leaders Alyaksei Yanukovich and Viktar Ivashkevich, head of the Social Democratic Party (Narodnaya Hramada) Mikalai Statkevich, famous Belarusian journalist Iruna Khalip, European Belarus activists Yauhen Afnahel, Pavel Yukhnevich, Maksim Vinyarski, co-chairman of the BCD organizing committee Paval Sevyarynets, artist Ales Marachkin and other prominent Belarusians were present at the demonstration.

Hundreds of national white-red-white flags, flags of the European Union and European Belarus civil campaign were waving. Young people carried banners, many demonstrators came with children. The people were shouting “Long Live Belarus!” and “Independence!”

In the beginning of the meeting the chairman of the Belarusian Popular Front Party Alyaksei Yanukevich asked the participants of the rally to hold a moment of silence in memory of Belarusian writer, historian and journalist Kastus Tarasau. The funeral of Kastus Tarasau was held on March 25. The politician noted that there are many problems which have amassed in Belarus, and with which authorities fail to cope, and called upon the demonstrators to show solidarity.

The chairman of the organizing committee for creation of "Razam" solidarity movement Vyachaslau Siuchyk demanded to release political prisoners Mikalai Autukhovich and Uladzimir Asipenka. Their case was tried in the Supreme Court on February 10, 2010. Siuchyk noted that he attends every session of the court and this case reminds him trials of 1930ies. "If it would be necessary to prove that Autukhovich and Siuchyk are Japanese spies, the authorities would do that," Vyachaslau Siuchyk said.

After the speeches of Belarusian politicians many participants of the rally lined along the traffic area of the avenue. However, soon 600 protesters headed for Yakub Kolas Square. Young people were shouting “Independence!”, “Long live Belarus!”, “We believe! We can! We win!”. Activists of European Belarus civil campaign, Young Front, Young Belarus and BCD were present at the demonstration.

The participants of the action met a chain of riot police near Minsk hospital #1. With shouts “Long live Belarus!”, a part of demonstrators broke through the chain and go on the march. But a squad of policemen in riot gear met the people at the crossing with Pyatrus Brouka Street. The police informed the action participants about possible consequences. Then a larger number of riot policemen from police buses ran up to the crossing of Brouka Street and Independence Avenue. The participants of the peaceful demonstration found themselves in a circle.

The demonstrators announced the end of the rally and began to disperse to avoid provocations of the riot police. Riot policemen remained in chain demonstrating how Lukashenka’s regime fears the civil society and any demonstration of freedom.