At Night the Unknown Attacked Kurapaty Preservationists

The attackers were wearing masks and had sticks.

On the night of February 23 the activists' camp near Kurapaty was attacked by masked men with wooden pointy sticks, Radio Svaboda reports.

There were 15-20 attackers. According to activists, the attack lasted about a minute: the unknown swore, chanted "Glory to Russia" and "White Race".

The attackers destroyed the tent, disrupted a white-red-white flags and knocked down the barrel where activists set fire. One of activists Ales Kirkevich was hit by a wooden stick on a temple. Then the attackers escaped.

According to activists of the Young Front, that was a planned action aimed at intimidation. The police was called at the scene.

Representative of the BPF Party Aliaksei Yanukevich and leader of the Young Front Zmitser Dashkevich arrived there. Together with activists they discuss further steps. But they don't intend to stop.

The GUVD commented on the situation.

"Today at 5.35 am the hot line received a call about an attack of the unknown 20 people on 15 citizens in the Savetski district. The police of the Savetski ROVD of Minsk immediately arrived and held preliminary verification activities. As of 9 o'clock in the morning people applied to the police refused their claims without any explanations. However, the information is being checked," an official representative of the GUVD of the Minsk City Executive Committee Aliaksandr Lastouski told tut.by.

It will be recalled that the protest action continues for a few days on Mirashnichenka Street. A five-storey business centre should be built there. Young Front activists oppose it, before 2014 it used to be the part of Kurapaty. Later the protective zone was significantly cut. According to historian Ihar Kuznetsou, it is likely that there may be graves at the construction site.