Chernobyl Way rally in Minsk (live coverage, video)

A rally on occasion of an anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster is held today in Minsk.

This year's Chernobyl Way rally is carried out with a demand to stop the construction of an NPP in Belarus. The demosntration starts at 18:00 in front of the Oktyabr cinema.

Organisers of the event anonymously say the nuclear energy is dangerous for the Belarusians and residents of other countries.

The opposition has been holding the Chernobyl Way rally in Minsk annually since 1988.

21:22 Dear readers, the live coverage is over. Thank you for being with us.

21:13 Nasha Niva's journalists are in the Savetski district police department.

21:02 People are leaving the park. Some go pray in the Chernobyl chapel.

21:00 Vital Rymasheuski says the rally is over.

20:58 Henadz Fiadynich from the trade union of electronics industry reads a poem dedicated to abandoned villages. Maryna Khomich and Artur Finkevich, the next speakers, speak against the construction of a nuclear power plant in Astravets.

BPF head Aliaksei Yanukevich notes the union with Russia is dangerous. He reminds that the authorities didn't inform people about the accident in 1986, when wind was blowing to Belarus. “The Kremlin didn't care about Belarus,” Yanukevich said.

20:54 Rymasheuski reads the resolution urging to stop the construction of an NPP in Astravets, release political prisoners and found the National Ecological Committee in honour of Ivan Nikitchanka. Demonstrators applaud to the resolution. Henadz Fiadynich is going to address the crowd.

20:52 Iryna Sukhiy and other activists were allowed to leave the police department just after the march ended. Policemen wrote down their passport information.

The activists seem to have been detained to prevent them from participating in the rally.

20:50 Trukhanovich has been taken to the Savetski district police department.

20:45 Vital Rymasheuski addressed the demonstrators. He says a few organisers of the rally were detained. Tatsiana Novikava was blocked in her flat, but managed to pass a resolution.

20:42 Nasha Niva's journalists Iryna Arakhouskaya and Aksana Rudovich, who took video of beating of Ihar Trukhanovich, have been detained.

20:40 Ryhor Kastusiou is the first speaker. He announced a minute's silence to pay tribute to Chernobyl victims.

20:37 Some people refuse to enter the cordoned off territory. Young people sing songs.

20:33 A few anarchist activists have been detained near a McDonalds. They are in a police minibus now.

20:32 Police permitted to bring a megaphone.

20:28 Vital Rymasheuski says police don't allow to bring megaphones. Policemen say they have an order not to allow bringing sound-amplifying equipment. Policemen didn't want to allow European Belarus activist Maksim Viniarski to go, because he had a poster “Belarus's two problems” depicting the Chernobyl NPP and Lukashenka in hockey gear. The activist was allowed to join the rest in the end.

20:22 Ihar Trukhanovich has been beaten brutally at a block of flats at 78 Bahdanovich Street. He is bleeding and cannot get up.

20:21 Ryhor Kasusiou says police forbade to bring sound-amplifying equipment. Organisers of the rally say they were earlier permitted to use sound-amplifying equipment.

20:17 Policemen search bags of demonstrators.

20:13 A part of Park of Peoples Friendship is cordoned off by barriers and yellow tapes.  Three metal detector gates are installed there. Police cars and riot policemen stand nearby.

20:10 The column has approached Park of Peoples Friendship. The march took about an hour. Speakers are going to address the crowd.

20:07 Observers near the Savetski district police department report that an anarchist activist has been brought there.

20:06 UCP leader Anatol Liabedzka, who earlier was detained in Astravets two times, has appeared at the rally.

20:03 Two prisoner transport vehicles and two police buses are driving to Bangalore Square.

20:02 Human rights activist Viachaslau Dashkevich has been detained near the Savetski district police department.

20:00 Details about the detention of ecological activist Iryna appeared. She was detained near her home as she was loading packs of anti-nuclear leaflets in her car to hand them out at the Chernobyl Way rally. Plainclothes men introduced themselves as police officers, said there had been a number of burglaries in the district and insisted that Iryna Sukhiy should go to a police station.

19:58 The column is approaching Bangalore Square.

19:57 Vital Rymasheuski said charter97.org on the phone that the number of demonstrators increased significantly. There are about 2,000 people.

19:52 Ecohome leader Iryna Sukhiy has been left at a police station for three hours. The police say they need to verify the activist's identity.

19:45 The column is approaching the Riga shopping centre.

19:43 Demonstrators chant “Down with dictartorship”.

19:34 The column crossed Yakub Kolas Street. Only a narrow passage left due to tram track repairs. Road police cars accompany the column.

19:27 The column moves along Surhanau Street. Young people with megaphones in the front line sing “Not to be cattle” and “Play” by Liapis Trubetskoy.

19:20 The column continues to move. Some cars honk to welcome the rally.

19:17 Slogans “Freedom for political prisoners” are heard. Demonstrates say names of all political prisoners.

19:15 About 100 people still stand in front of the Oktyabr cinema. They decided not to go to Bangalore Square.

The column continues to move along Surhanau Street. Two young men at the front chant through a megaphone “Long live Belarus”, “No to NPP in Belarus” and “Astravets is second Chernobyl”.

19:11 Plainclothes men film participants of the rally.

19:10 People have to walk on the carriageway for lack of space on the pavements.

19:06 The column turns to Surhanau Street. People speak about a sniper on the roof of the Academy of Science.

19:03 Demonstrators carry the Icon of the Chernobyl Mother of God at the head of the column. BCD co-head Vital Rymasheuski says more than 1,000 people have come.

19:01 The march has begun.

18:57 Anarchist activists unfolded a banner “Price of NPP is our lives”.

Young people in gauze face masks hand out leaflets “All money spent on the NPP construction, nothing left to pay wages”. Flags of the civil campaigns European Belarus and Tell the Truth, BCD and BPF parties can be seen.

Ryhor Kastusiou called on people to form a column. Demonstrators are ready to start a march. Scores of riot policemen stand along the street to prevent people from walking on the carriageway.

18:52 Demonstrators raised posters “We against NPP construction”, “Hot summer of 1986 – for whom?”.

18:47 People are chanting “Long live Belarus”. Many wear Guy Fawkes masks. Artist Aliaksei Marachkin and priest Leanid Akalovich came to the rally.

Human rights activists say leader of the Green party Aleh Novikau cannot leave his home.

18:40 The number of participants has increased to 500 people. Former presidential candidate Vital Rymasheuski and poet Henadz Buraukin came to the rally.

18:35 Maksim Viniarski, an activist of the civil campaign European Belarus, holds a poster “Belarus's two problems” depicting the Chernobyl NPP and Lukashenka in hockey gear.

Publicist Anatol Sidarevich, Japanese Ph.D student Yasuhiro Igarashi, who came to the rally from Warsaw, were noticed in crowd.

18:30 About 200 people have gathered near the Oktyabr cinema, Nasha Niva newspaper reports. BPF party members Aliaksei Yanukevich and Ryhor Kastusiou came to the rally with a Chernobyl bell. Demonstrators are raising flags.

18: 21 Activists of the anti-nuclear movement Tatsiana Novikava, Iryna Sukhiy, Mikalai Ulasevich, Siniukhin, Kurlenka, Kanavalau and Kaskevich have been detained before the rally.

An assault team tried to burst into musician Ihar Simbirou's home. Journalists Aliaksandr Barazenka, Anastasia Yaumen and UCP leader Anatol Liabedzka have been detained in the town of Astravets.

18:17 Eight prisoner transport vehicles and ten buses with riot policemen drove to the rally.