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Yauhen Afnahel: Energy Of Outraged Belarusians' Marches Impresses

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Yauhen Afnahel: Energy Of Outraged Belarusians' Marches Impresses
YAUHEN AFNAHEL

Such life lessons are never forgotten.

One of the leaders of the Belarusian National Congress, coordinator of the "European Belarus" civil campaign Yauhen Afnahel said this to Charter97.org, commenting on last year's mass protests against Decree #3:

- Despite the different estimates of the number of participants of the Outraged Belarusians; March, all agreed in one thing: this was the most mass demonstration that took place in Minsk after the 2010 Square. The energy of the action impressed. It was especially pleasant to see a huge number of people who had no relation to the opposition's prior actions. According to their conversations and behavior, they were ready to take decisive action, it became clear that this was only the beginning of protests. And so it happened - the March steered up large-scale actions across the country.

The number of people who went to the action on February 17, and the energy of the action, and the subsequent events were expected. In autumn, the Belarusian National Congress warned that serious social protests would soon begin. The discontent, which accumulated over the years, fertilized by the scornful actions of the authorities, could not help splashing out into the street.

- A new "parasitic" Decree #1 was recently signed. What could be the consequences of his implementation?

- I'm not sure that Decree #1 will work. After all, if this happens, people will come out protesting again. Together we succeeded in cancelling Decree #3 - this is the first serious victory of the people over the dictator. In addition, Lukashenka paid a high price for suppressing the protests - this concerns both image losses and the money spent on the mobilization of the law-enforcers and special services. The people - both the participants of the action and those who watched the live streams from the protests - saw how solidarity works, and what can be achieved by simply joining the protest action. Moreover, we realized how many people hated the regime, and ready to fight. Such life lessons are never forgotten.

A successful example of the fight against Decree #3 can now be applied to the abolition of any inadequate initiatives - from raising utility tariffs, to car tax or rising prices. And this may not be an organized protest, but a spontaneous riot, when no one will offer Lukashenka negotiations, as it was last year. I was in many regions of the country and I saw the mood of the people. The events of 2017 may seem nothing to Lukashenka in comparison with what could happen.

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