Belarusians Demand Lukashenka Should Return Power To People

A demonstration dedicated to the 20th anniversary of the state turnover took place in the Freedom Square in Minsk.

A peaceful action under the slogan “Return Power to the People!” started at 6 p.m. on November 24 in the Freedom Square in Minsk, Radio Liberty informs.

Leader of the Belarusian opposition, presidential candidate at the election-2010 Mikalai Statkevich and Belarusian poet and politician Uladzimir Niakliaeu notified the Minsk city executive committee about the planned action.

Over 200 people gathered in the Freedom Square at about 6 p.m., including leader of the Belarusian opposition Mikalai Statkevich, poet and politician Uladzimir Niakliaeu, Co-Chairman of the steering committee for creating the party “Belarusian Christian Democracy” Pavel Seviarynets, coordinator of the civil campaign “European Belarus” Yauhen Afnahel, and entrepreneurs’ leaders from Minsk and the regions.

The participants of the action came with the white-red-white flags and the flags of the “European Belarus” campaign, and the slogans “Belarusians, Get United!” and “People of Belarus, Stop Decaying, It’s Time to Return Your Rights!”

Mikalai Statkevich recalled Lukashenka’s crimes against democracy and legality, and called for the people not to be afraid of the regime which had become a financial bankrupt already. Uladzimir Niakliaeu said that 20 years ago Belarusians couldn’t stop the dictatorship, but they would not repeat the mistake of their past today.

Upon Mikalai Statkevich’s initiative, the participants of the rally honoured the memory of Victar Hanchar, Yury Zakharanka and other missing opponents of Lukashenka’s regime with a minute of silence. The people also chanted the names of the Belarusian political prisoners.

Pavel Seviarynets reminded that Lukashenka was ready to hand our country’s sovereignty over to Russia. “Despite the fact that the regime has thousands of KGB men, military men and policemen, it failed to make us shut up. We have thousands of people who are ready to defend freedom and independence. They would never hand Belarus over to Russia. Down with the empire!” – Pavel Seviarynets said.

Mikalai Statkevich stated that Belarusians had become determined in their desire to defend freedom during 20 years of dictatorship, and were ready to return the power to the people.

“In 1996, the people didn’t realize yet who was at power. Now we are reaping what was sown then. Belarus appeared in isolation, with no friends, with demolished economy. We are facing more challenges. But we are different now. If we have a chance to change the authorities now – we are ready. Belarus needs changes! We will not let anyone take our freedom! We are ready to fight for it!” – Mikalai Statkevich said.

After the action was over, Statkevich said protests in Belarus would continue. “We will come out to the streets further on. We will be giving a signal to our society that there is nothing to be afraid of anymore. We will keep the street until the whole Belarus comes out to this street. Most Belarusians hate Lukashenka’s regime and the authorities. We must return Belarus through the street. As Napoleon once said, to win you need the 3:1 ratio of combat spirit to cannons. We have shown that our combat spirit is much higher than 20 years ago, and we will not hand Belarus over to a dictatorship.”