1 300 riot policemen to guard Slavonic Bazaar

Though the festival hasn’t started yet, riot policemen, law-enforcers and Emergency Situations Ministry officers are already working in urgent regime. Policemen from all over Belarus are taken to Vitsebsk.

“Delegations” from all capitals of regions, soldiers of internal troops and Minsk riot policemen have been sent there. Starting with the beginning of this week patrols are seen even streets that are situated far from the centre of the city. They usually consist of three persons: two riot policemen with truncheons and a policemen with a gun, Bulletinonline informs.

Beside that, policemen in mufti are maintaining order in the city. They use allegedly “nonservice” transport, cars which are not having police colour.

As said by the head of Internal affairs department of Vitsebsk regional executive committee Leanid Farmahej, 50 surveillance cameras are working in the city. Entrances to the main show stages have metal detectors.

“More than 1300 policemen are to work. In different parts of the city the situation is to be tracked in real time by 53 surveillance cameras. Besides, our policemen in civil cars are to video,” Leanid Farmahej said.

Like last year, bags of viewers are to be searched. those who are drunk are not to be allowed to enter, as well as those who have drinks in glass bottles.

bomb technicians with dogs skilled to detect explosives are to stay near the entrance.

Meanwhile police took great interest in Vitsebsk oppositionist Barys Khamajda recently. Every day Barys distributes independent press in the centre of the city. Starting from July 8 Mr. Khamajda was taken to the police department each day. He is insistently told “to take rest” for the time of the Slavonic Bazaar, so that he would be outside the view of governmental delegations’ members and other visitors. State media are trying to persuade visitors of Belarus that our country is an embodiment of security and stability.