Warning Action In Minsk (Online Report, Video)

(updated) The action against the West-2017 military exercises was held in the center of Minsk.

September 8 — the Day of the Belarusian Military Glory.

The action, which was organized by the Belarusian National Congress, started at 7 p.m. today in the Kastrychnitskaya Square in Minsk. Then the participants of the action went to the place of taking the Oath of Freedom — the monument to Yakub Kolas. 500 people participated in the Warning Action. They adopted a resolution by single vote. The resolution says the following:

— We, the patriots of Belarus, express our protest against dragging our country into Russia’s military confrontation against Ukraine and the NATO block.

We support the paragraph of the Constitution regarding “Belarus’s striving for neutrality” and don’t want any alien troops on our land.

We reckon the West-2017 exercises as a threat to the sovereignty of our country.

We honour the memory of our ancestors — the warriors of Krutahorye, the battle of Siniya Vody, Grunwald, Kletsk, Vorsha; Kalinouski’s insurgents, Slutsk rebels and the guerrillas of the Second World war.

We consider their feat a high example of serving the Homeland and warn all possible aggressors about our readiness to defend the independence of Belarus with weapons. Long Live Belarus!

It was announced that the Outraged Belarusians’ March-2 will be held on October 20 in Belarus.

Charter97.org was covering the event live. The video materials have been provided by Radio Liberty, Belsat TV and Nasha Niva.

21:00

The website Charter97.org finishes the online coverage. Thank you for staying with us!

20:50

Mikalai Statkevich announced the next protest action – the "Outraged Belarusians’March-2” will be held in Belarus on October 20.

20:48

Mikalai Statkevich read out the text of the Oath of Freedom. The participants of the Warning Action took it:

I, the patriot of Belarus,

before God and Belarus

Swear to fight for the freedom and independence of my country;

Swear to cherish Belarus in my heart, and defend it from any enemy wherever they might come from;

Swear to be faithful to Belarus and never to betray my friends, who are struggling for the free Homeland.

Long Live Belarus!

20:45

The priest of the Belarusian Autocephalous Orthodox Church pronounced the “Our Father” prayer.

20:41

The anthem “God Almighty” is heard.

20:40

The participants of the Warning Action approached the monument to Yakub Kolas. The Oath of Freedom should take place here.

20:33

The protesters are chanting the demand to release political prisoners, listing the names of all prisoners of conscience.

20:26

The delegation, headed by Mikalai Statkevich, laid flowers to the Victory Monument. The column moved further on alongside the Independence Avenue in the direction of Yakub Kolas Square.

20:24

The participants of the Warning Action are chanting “Belarusians Are Guerrillas!”, holding an enormous white-red-white flag.

20:16

The organizers of the action decided to send a delegation to lay flowers to the Victory Monument.

20:15

The demonstrators reached the Victory Square. The people are chanting “We Believe, We Can, We Shall Win!”

20:02

A slogan “Russian Soldier, Go Home!” is heard.

20:01

The protesters are chanting “Independence!”

19:59

The column under the flag is moving along the Independence Avenue. The people are carrying a poster "For Peaceful Belarus!".

19:47

The participants of the action headed for the Victory Square, where the Oath of Freedom is to take place.

19:40

A resolution of the Warning Action is being read out, which says that the military exercises West-2017 threaten the sovereignty of Belarus, and Belarusians are ready to defend the independence of their country, also with arms.

19:34

Pavel Seviarynets is speaking: “Our mission today is to defend independence. Alien troops are here now. We saw a Belarusian Colonel driving around with a Russian flag in Hrodna. This is a disgrace! Hundreds of years, the best Belarusians confronted swords and tanks, defending their Homeland. We can defend our country now! We have come here today also on behalf of those people who remain behind the bars over the will of the Kremlin-backed regime. Freedom for political prisoners!”

19:32

Mikalai Statkevich is speaking: “As long as there are patriots, the nation will live. Thank you for coming. As long as we are here, Belarus will live! We are in danger today. Alien troops came to our land to train how to hold a war with our neighbours – Ukraine, Poland, Lithuania and Latvia. We should say our NO. Let them take their tanks and get lost. If they leave their troops and equipment here, it will threaten our independence. If this happens, there will be thousands of us here.”

19:29

Uladzimir Niakliaeu is speaking. He congratulated the participants of the action on the Day of Military Glory and told about the history of appearance of such a holiday – the Battle of Vorsha. The politician stated that the peole had gathered at the action to say NO to the Belarus-Russia joint military drills West-2017, as well as to say NO to the consequences of Belarus being involved in Russia’s military games and confrontations with the rest of the world.

“We are protesting here not against Russia and the Russians, but to warn our government that the policy of dragging Belarus in a military conflict threatens Belarus itself,” – Niakliaeu said.

19:24

The participants of the action are chanting “Long Live Belarus!”

19:22

The participants of the action stopped near the Trade Unions House. A demonstration is planned to be held here.

19:19

A column of demonstrators with a huge national flag, singing patriotic songs, moved alongside the Independence Avenue in the direction of the Victory Square.

19:18

The number of participants is growing. There are about 500 people in the square now.

19:15

A slogan “No to Russian Occupation!” is heard.

19:14

The participants of the action unfolded a huge white-red-white flag. The people are chanting “Long Live Belarus!”

19:04

Over two hundred people have already arrived to the action, including the following leaders and activists of the opposition: Mikalai Statkevich, Uladzimir Niakliaeu, Yauhen Afnahel, Andrei Sharenda, Pavel Seviarynets, Viachaslau Siuchyk, Natallia Papkova, director and script writer Uladzimir Khalip and others.

18:57

Someone brought acoustic systems to the action. The hits of the bands “Liapis Trubetskoy”,“Brutto”, “Krama”, “NRM” and Zmitser Vaitsiushkevich are playing. The first song to have been played was “Warriors of Light”.

18:55

The Minsker, who came to the action with flowers, says: “I will not keep silence. We are conscious people, we know our history and culture and no one could force us to forget it. I am strongly against these exercises. They will bring troops here and then there will the Crimea. Let Russian soldiers go home!”

18:52

The participants of the action hoisted the white-red-white flags and took out posters. One of the posters says “Russian Soldier, Go Home. No Vodka here”.

18:46

One of the BNC leaders, poet Uladzimir Niakliaeu came to the action from the Economic Forum in Krynica, Poland.

“It’s more important to be here today, so I changed my ticket and flew to Minsk. The experience of Ukraine showed how dangerous Russia could be. If you want peace, be prepared for war. Not only for the war with machine-guns, but for the spiritual, manly struggle for your country. Seeing alien troops marching on your land, you understand that we must defend it. It can be bad for us, but it will be worse for them,” – Niakliaeu said.

18:43

Coordinator of the “European Belarus” civil campaign Yauhen Afnahel arrived to participate int he action.

“Belarusians mark a great holiday today – the Day of Military Glory. However, there are alien troops on our land today, and it is essential that we should protest against the presence of the Russian troops here. We are ready to defend our independence in a peaceful way. However, we can do it in a different way, if needed,” – the politician said.

18:35

One of the participants of the action, Secretary of the Belarusian Social Democratic party “People’s Assembly” Siarhei Martsaleu, who already arrived to the Square, said that Russia demonstrated that Belarusian sovereignty was limited today, and it’s confirmed by that fact that the Russian military exercises are held at the territory of our country. “Belarusians should defend their dignity and the independence of their country today,” – he added.

18:29

Before the action, Mikalai Statkevich said in an interview to Radio Liberty that he hoped the action would be held decently, as otherwise Belarus risked to take the path of no return:

“If occupation starts, it will happen regardless of Lukashenka’s will. No one will ask him anything. Now everything depends on Russia’s internal calculations. They have different logic, which is hardly understandable for strategists. Even if the probability of such a scenario is 5%, it’s significant for the danger of such level. That is why it is better to prevent the threat than to deal with bloody consequences later on.”

18:25

One of the leaders of the Belarusian National Congress Mikalai Statkevich arrived to the Kastrychnitskaya Square together with the journalists.