Celebration of the 100th Anniversary of the Proclamation of BPR to Be Held in the Center of Minsk

A meeting of the working group on Freedom Day was held.

On January 8, a meeting of public and political figures was held. They supported the idea of the Belarusian National Congress on creation of a joint organizing committee to prepare a mass celebration of the 100th anniversary of BPR on March 25, Minsk.

Jauhen Afnahel, Uladzimir Nyaklyayew, Paval Sevyarynets, Vyachyslau Siuchyk, Mikalai Statkevich and Henadz Fyadynich took part in the meeting of the working group.

"The working group considers it possible to organize the march from Jakub Kolas Square to Independence Square and to visit places associated with the history of BPR; other variants will be discussed as well. The working group considers it expedient to apply the Minsk City Executive Committee for a festive procession to give the authorities the opportunity to confirm the declared commitment to the independence of Belarus," the statement of Mikalai Statkevich published on Facebook says.

On January 16, the first meeting of the organizing committee on celebration of March 25 will be held in the office of the REP Trade Union. The established working group invites representatives of organizations supporting the idea of joint celebration of the anniversary of Freedom Day.

"Freedom Day must demonstrate the power and unity of the Belarusian people," the statement says.

Mikalai Statkevich told correspondent of Radio Svaboda that members of the working group welcome the work of the Public Organizing Committee under the leadership of Radzim Haretski and can become its structural part.

"We will offer famous people of Belarus to take part in the celebration. We are ready to prepare a wide-scale celebration. We are ready for compromises. We have chosen the option with the march starting from Jakub Kolas Square, not from Kastrychnitsaya as it used to be. We are ready to file an application, although I made no pronouncement on the vote."

Mikalai Statkevich said that the leadership of the public organizing committee was invited to the meeting of January 16 and would be proposed to continue to lead the joint work.

"But those people who have gathered today have some experience, and they believe that a decent mass action is needed. We do not understand the comparison of the room events with public ones. We accept both of them. If someone proposes to limit the celebration to drinking, then this is probably not exactly what we support. We also understand those who have experienced certain stresses, have had troubles with the authorities and are afraid to participate in any public celebration. We understand and do not reproach these people. But we don't understand the situation when people oppose these things. If they're just trying to torpedo a public action and, as I say, hide behind a bottle. I can't call it a decent behavior. It excites only pity."