Nyaklyaeu: Let’s Ask EU Not To Lift Sanctions Against Official Minsk

Participants of the rally of February 15 demanded that EU shouldn’t lift sanctions against Lukashenka and his officials.

Belarusian sole traders gathered for a rally on the Kastrychnitskaya Square in Minsk at 12 a.m., February 15. 1000 people took part in the rally.

First posters and banners were set up in the Square: “Let us work!”, “222 – the rise in unemployment”, “For the freedom of sole traders!” There were leaders of the opposition Uladzimir Nyaklyaeu, Mikalai Statkevich and Anatol Liabedzka among the participants of the rally, Radio Svaboda reports.

“We have the right to work! Let us work! You’ve deprived us of this right by Decree №222. There are no jobs in the regions”, - one of the sole traders said during her speech on the stairs of the Palace of the Republic.

One of the sole traders reminded, that Lukashenka called them bandits. “We are not bandits”, - he claimed.

Leader of entrepreneurs Ales Makayeu addressed Lukashenka suggesting him to apologize to sole traders.

Uladzimir Nyaklyaeu proposed in his speech to adopt an appeal to the leaders of the EU not to lift the sanctions against the official Minsk.

The people on the Square voted for this appeal by show of hands.

Earlier, Lukashenka actually spoke out against the requirements of the sole traders: the authorities were not going to cancel Decree №222, due to which Belarusian markets and shopping centers have been empty for a month and a half already.