Belarusian entrepreneurs against Lukashenka (Video)

Mass protests of entrepreneurs against Lukashenka’s decrees, ruining their business, were held in Minsk Jenuary 10. More than 2.000 people came to October (Kastrychnitskaya) Square, and then tried to break through to the President’s Administration. A hundred of riot policemen and armoured vehicles were thrown against the people to shut the passage to the building of the administration. Then the determined protesters moved to the House of Government on the traffic way of the Independence Avenue. The authorities were so scared by the mass protests that they blocked all oppositional Internet resources, including website of Charter’97, which could give on-line reports about the events.

Entrepreneurs begun to protest at 12.00pm on October Square in Minsk. About 2.000 people gathered. They occupied a part of the square free from skating-rink. Many entrepreneurs leaders couldn’t come to the square –Viktar Kryval, Viktar Garbachou, Aleg Shabetnik and Alyaksandr Tsetsura had been detained before the action.

Some politicians came to the square to support the entrepreneurs, among them were Alyaksandr Milinkevich, leader of the “For Freedom!” movement, Mikola Statkevich, leader of the Belarusian Social Democratic Party “Narodnaya Gramada”, Anatol Lyabedzka, head of the United Civil Party, Ales Mikhalevich, deputy head of the Belarusian Popular Front, Syargei Kalyakin, leader of the Belarusian Communist Party, and activists of youth movements.

When the number of people on October Square increased, a lorry with a loud-speaker drove up to the protesters. Police began to threaten entrepreneurs that force and special means will be used if the entrepreneurs do not disperse. The response was hiss and shouts “Shame!”, “Freedom!”, “Work!”

Then the police began to read another text: form a group of six people, who will go to the president’s administration for negotiations, and the rest of people should disperse. The entrepreneurs didn’t agree with it. After some time Anatol Shumchanka, leader of the public association “Perspektiva” and some people went to the administration finally. The participants of the action remained on the square.

They waited for about an hour and a half. The entrepreneurs held a meeting using a megaphone. The leaders and activists of the entrepreneurs’ movement stressed the authorities purposefully ruin small business, entrepreneurs have no backing space, as it deprives them and their families of bread, and they will struggle for their rights.

White-red-white flags and banners “We want to obey laws, not decrees”, “Father, you found job for your sons, but your decree made us to kick out our sellers, like dogs”, “Stop robbing the people, no repeal of benefits!” can be seen on October Ssquare.

A policeman tried to take away a national flag from a young man, but people around didn’t allow him to do it. The representative of law enforcement bodies had to recede.

In the meantime, strange people in mufti appeared on the skating rink. They resembled policemen in plainclothes. They were skating, while “Russian chanson” (songs of the criminal world) were played. Some of them had flags of the Belarusian Republican Youth Union. However, they were not able to skate long. Young people with white-red-white flags and with a slogan “Long live Belarus!” pressed the “figure-skaters” in mufti.

By 2 p.m. entrepreneurs were tired from waiting, and they decided to go to the presidential administration themselves. Dozens of traffic policemen immediately lined up along the square’s perimeter. They were to prevent protesters from crossing the traffic area. However, part of the people emanated to break through traffic policemen’s cordons. They blocked the traffic and marched in the direction of the administration building. However, other protesters were blocked by traffic policemen on October Square. As a result, traffic in Independence Avenue was blocked by protesters. They were standing on the traffic area and demanded to let other demonstrators join them. The standoff with policemen lasted for about 15 minutes. Hundreds of cars gathered on the avenue. At that moment about a hundred of riot policemen and two armoured trucks arrived to Engels Street which leads to presidential administration. They shut off the street and threatened that in case people won’t disband in 10 minutes, physical force would be used against them. And they cynically started countdown: “10 minutes, 9 minutes…”

Then the column of demonstrators turned to Independence Avenue in order to go to the House of government. Despite of the protest of traffic policemen, they resolutely stepped out onto the traffic area. The whole way from October Square to Independence Square they marched scanning: “Freedom!”, “We want work!” Demonstrators occupied four driving lanes. Drivers of cars riving from the opposite direction honked in their support, waved their hands. In response, demonstrators invited passers-by to join the column of protesters. Some of passers-by followed those who forgot fear and took to streets to defend their rights.

In the area of Independence square traffic policemen tried to block their movement again, nonetheless people marched on traffic area. In front of the government building protesters started to chant: “Freedom!”, “We want work!” and “Sidorsky!”, inviting the prime minister for negotiations.

Anatol Shumchanka, who returned after talks in the presidential administration, delivered a speech to the entrepreneurs. He told that negotiations collapsed. The regime is not going to offer any concessions to market vendors. The discriminatory decree No.760 will not be reversed or suspended. Only threats and intimidation was used by the authorities during the talks.

After A. Shumchanka speech a police colonel approached him. He didn’t presented himself but said that Shumchanka and all other organizers of the rally will be arrested.

About 1,000 entrepreneurs continued to block the traffic in Independence Avenue until 5 p.m. They were standing on Independence square heroically, and allowed to pass only ambulances. They demanded the regime to listen to them. But they haven’t been heard. A decision has been adopted that next time entrepreneurs are to gather on the square on January 21.