Putin, Go Home! (Photo, video)

Actions “For Independent Belarus” continue in Minsk. Another action against Vladimir Putin’s visit to Belarus was organised today in Minsk at 6.20 p.m. Some tens of activists of the civil campaign “Jeans for Freedom!” with a banner “Putin, Go Home!” came out to the Minsk center in Nyamiga Street. The young people unfurled European, national and official Belarusian flags, shouted “Putin, Go Home!” “Independence!”, “No union with Russia!”, “It’s not Russia here!” and tore portraits of Putin into pieces.

Action was held in high-traffic area and aroused interest among Minsk dwellers. The majority of passers-by stopped near the protesters and expressed their support. The torn portraits of Putin were mixed with mud. A street cleaner with broom came up and cleaned swept the remains of Russian president’s portraits.

The young people stood for 10 minutes, shouting slogans of independence. Then a bus with riot policemen drove up and twenty policemen attacked the protesters. Having seen the riot police, the activists sat down on the ground. The young people were treated brutally, as on 12 December on October Square – girls and guys were pulled into the bus by force. The policemen were so zealous that they were slipping and falling on the ice.

15 youth activists were detained. They were guarded to Maskouski District Internal Affairs Department of Minsk.

The passers-by, watching the dispersing, tried to defend the demonstrants, they shouted to riot police: “What are you doing? You are Belarusians after all!”