Hot Chernobyl Way 2013

This year the traditional Chernobyl Way held in Minsk was quite rough.

Before the manifestation, many activists of the ecologic movement opposed to the construction of the nuclear plant had been detained. For example, chairperson of the Council of Ekodom Iryna Sukhiy, activists Vasil Siniukhin, Kanstantsin Kirylenka and Volga Kaskevich were arrested in front of their buildings. They were kept in the Piershamaiski police department and released right when the Chernobyl Way was over. Other ecologists, blocked in their apartments, couldn’t join the demonstration. The ecologists had intended to protest against the construction of the nuclear power plant in Belarus during the Chernobyl Way 2013.

Earlier today in the town of Astraviets of the Grodna region where the nuclear power plant is being built leader of the United Civil Party Anatol Liabedzka and several accompanied journalists were detained twice.

Human rights activist Viachaslau Dashkievich was arrested near the building of the Savietski police department where some of the detained were taken. After the Chernobyl Way, activist of the anarchist movement Igar Trukhanovich was beaten up by four special services officers in civilian.

Even the journalists that were shooting the assault against Igar were detained, as well as other meeting participants on Bangalor Square.

Meanwhile, the Minsk State Executive Committee has authorized this Chernobyl Way. The participants of the demonstration did not break any law. At 18:30, people gathered near the October cinema house. They were holding transparents “Our Lives - The Nuclear Plant’s Price”, “We Are Against Nuclear Plant Construction”, “Hot Summer 1986 – For Whom?”. Young people in tissue masks distributed leaflets “Budget Spent on Nuclear Plant Leaves Nothing for Salaries”. The flags of the civil campaign European Belarus, Tell the Truth movement, the Belarusian Christian Democracy and the National People’s Front could be seen in the crowd.

Those in the head of the demonstration were carrying the icon of the God Mother of Chernobyl. The people were chanting Long Live Belarus, No to the Nuclear Power Plant in Belarus, Astraviets is the Second Chernobyl, Stop Dictatorship. Liapis Trubietskoy’s songs could be heard: Ne Byts Skotam and Gray!.

The demonstration urged to release all political prisoners. The participants of the demonstration called all thirteen prisoners by names.

According to the organizers, about 2000 people took part in the demonstration. The place of the meeting, Bangalor Square, was surrounded with metal fence and yellow tape. OMON searched each participant of the demonstration carefully. They didn’t allow carry loud speakers on to the stage, although the organizers of the Chernobyl Way had received permit to use loud speakers.

During the meeting, a resolution was adopted that included demands to stop the construction of the Astraviets Nuclear Power Plant and release political prisoners. It was also announced that the National ecologic committee named after Ivan Nikitchanka would be founded.

The organizers of the demonstration summed up the outcome of the Chernobyl Way in an interview to charter97.org:

Maksim Viniarski, activist of the civil campaign European Belarus:

“It was a peaceful action, even though the powers basically provoked its participants to break the law, and broke it themselves. The manifestation was authorized only on a narrow pavement of Surganau Street, where that many people simply cannot get through. From time to time people had to step on the road, with a very intense traffic.

The powers’ hypocrisy is appalling: they had organized an embarrassing chase of the ecologist while the demonstration had been officially authorized. The reasons to that are obvious. During the demonstration, the anti-nuclear activists planned to tell about the danger that our country will face if the Astraviets Nuclear Power Plant is built. Opposition activists may talk about this issue, but it is a completely different situation when respected experts whose opinion is vital for international institutions make a serious scientific case for it.

The powers lied about the nuclear power plant in 1986, and they still do. They understand that the opinion of ecologists and anti-nuclear activists is one of the key obstacles for this lie.”

Vital Rymasheuski, co-chairperson of the Belarusian Christian Democracy:

“I believe that the statements and publications the ecologists had produced before the Chernobyl Way annoyed Lukashenka. These preventive arrests have only one purpose: to intimidate. Today Lukashenka said in an interview that crops will continue to be cultivated and agriculture will continue to develop in the contaminated lands. This is a nervous reaction to the slogans that had been voiced before the action. And ecologists are most of all others opposed to the construction of the new Chernobyl – the Astraviets Nuclear Power Plant, the issue very sensitive for the Belarusian powers. That is why the ecologists were among the first to be arrested. The powers create obstacles to prevent anti-nuclear activists from speak more actively against the construction of the nuclear power plant.”