Action In Minsk: From Freedom Square To Independence Square (Video, Online)

The participants of the Meeting of Free People came to the CEC building. The parliamentary candidates burned their certificates.

On November 16, in Minsk, on the initiative of the European Belarus civil campaign , the Meeting of Free People was held again - this is a legal action in the Freedom Square. The first meeting took place on November 15 in two central squares of the capital at once, and gathered more than a thousand participants. The action was supported by independent parliamentary candidates, public activists and bloggers.

The second Meeting of Free People ended in the Independence square, where parliamentary candidates from the European Belarus burned down their certificates as a protest against falsification of elections in the country.

The European Belarus activists livestreamed the action, but when the stream was disrupted after the attack committed by police officers, the journalists of Radio Svaboda, who had been covering the students picket in the Zybitskaya Street, resumed the live stream. The website Charter97.org provided live text coverage of the event.

19:58

“The upcoming year will be a year of freedom for Belarus. See you in the squares of our cities. Freedom is fashionable! Freedom is groovy!” Yauhen Afnahel has summarized the rally at the CEC building.

19:56

The European Belarus activist Maksim Viniarski has urged Belarusians to act decisively, and “show proper resistance to those villains”.

19:55

The parliamentary candidates from the European Belarus massively burn their certificates at the building of the Central Election Commission.

19:54

Activist of the European Belarus Andrei Sharenda has said that there is no president in Belarus, and there are no elections. He called on candidates to withdraw from the fake election.

19:52

At the rally, Yauhen Afnahel has once again declared that the real free elections would be held immediately after Lukashenka leaves, very soon, next year.

19:51

A rally has started at the the CEC building.

19:50

“Basta to Yarmoshyna!”, “Basta to fake elections!” - the people are chanting near the CEC building.

19:43

The people have come to the Independence Square.

19:40

Radio Svaboda has resumed the livestream of the action. Previously, plain-clothed policemen attacked the European Belarus activists near the building of the Ministry of the Interior, and broke their camera.

19:35

Police officers in civilian clothes attacked Yauhen Afnahel and interrupted the broadcast of the action in Minsk.

19:31

The column is approaching Independence Square, chanting “Long Live Belarus!” and “Basta to the fake election!”

19:21

The slogans “Basta to Astravets NPP !”, “Basta to Russia!”, “Basta to Lukashenka!” are sounding.

19:17

The participants of the procession are chanting “Basta to the collective-farm dictatorship!”

19:15

The participants of the action, with flags and fires, are going in the direction of the Independence Square. The slogan “Long Live Belarus” sounds loudly, music sounds from the speakers.

19:14

Coordinator of the European Belarus Yauhen Afnahel has announced that opposition parliamentary candidates intend to burn their certificates from the Central Election Commission in the Independence Square. The politician urged the participants in the Meeting of Free People to go to Independence Square.

19:12

Viachaslau Siuchyk, the leader of the Razam solidarity movement, announced mobilization on December 8, the day when Aliaksandr Lukashenka and Vladimir Putin intend to sign documents on “deepening” integration. On this day, according to him, it is necessary to take to the streets and say “NO” to the union with Russia.

19:10

Mikalai Statkevich said that fair parliamentary elections will be held in Belarus in a year. “We need to overcome fear, come out and protect our country!” he said.

19:05

Activist of the European Belarus Volha Nikalaychyk is speaking:

“My grandfather died in the Great Patriotic War, the second grandfather died from wounds. Is it possible for their granddaughter to live in an unfree country? I participated in the election campaign, I saw the mood of the people, how they want to live in a free, normal country. And I want Lukashenka to wipe his ass on a prison toilet with this paper (the activist showed the certificate of registration as a parliamentary candidate - edit.) There are no elections in our country. But we have a choice, and this choice is freedom! ”

Volha Nikalaychyk has burnt her candidate’s certificate with the words “This power is burning out in our hands. For freedom!"

19:03

Activist of the Narodnaya Hramada party Valiantsin Trotski said that Belarusians would take up arms if necessary in order to defend the country's freedom and independence.

19:01

European Belarus activist Leanid Kulakou is speaking. He has condemned the “union” with Russia, and called for a fight against the integration of Minsk with Moscow.

19:00

Activist Dzmitry Marchuk spoke about the situation in the Kurapaty tract, where authorities opened a restaurant on the bones of victims of Stalinist repressions, and said a prayer for Belarus.

18:58

Artsiom Charnyak, a former parliamentary candidate from the European Belarus, has called the election a “clownery”. “Basta to the fake election in Belarus!” he said. People supported shouting “Basta!”.

18:54

The participants of the action are chanting “Go away!”, addressing to Lukashenka.

18:53

Another activist of the European Belarus Mikhail Bandarenka publicly burned his candidate’s certificate.

18:52

Yauhen Afnahel has said that freedom for Belarus is just beginning. “Very soon, Lukashenka will not be there, and we will have real free elections. This will happen next year,” the politician said.

18:50

One of the leaders of the BCD party Pavel Seviarynets has also stressed the absence of elections in Belarus. “I do not want you, the young people, to go to prison for the next 20 years, like me, to fight for the right to study in your native language, I don’t want my children to go to school under Tsar Nikolai. And this is what this regime wants. It wants to rob us of the future. But it will not succeed. The last days when the Meetings of Free People took place showed that Belarusian youth cannot be broken, they will not kneel before the tyrant. We want to live in free Belarus! We believe! We can! We shall win! ”

18:45

Activist of European Belarus, blogger from Vorsha Dzmitry Kazlou is speaking. He has recalled that he was a parliamentary candidate, but was withdrawn from the electoral race for the inscription “Basta to fake election!”

“Members of election commissions commit a crime and will be responsible for it during lustration. We do not have elections under this power,” the activist said and burned his certificate of registration as a parliamentary candidate.

18:39

“Today we have gathered together as free people. It's time to speak openly, enough to be afraid! Long live Belarus,” another Minsker has taken the floor.

18:39

There are more than 300 people in the Square, they are chanting “Long live Belarus!”. Many take the floor, talk about their problems, express their willingness to fight and participate in the changes.

PHOTO: SPRING96.ORG

18:35

Mikalai Statkevich is speaking, saying that Belarusians will certainly achieve freedom next year, and this is the last term for Lukashenka.

18:33

Activist of the European Belarus, journalist Iryna Khalip has taken the floor. She has called for a fight against the construction of a nuclear power plant in Belarus, which is taking place with gross violations. “We are dependent on Russian loans for this nuclear power plant, on Russian nuclear fuel, on Russian specialists. We are in a very heavy addiction. Until the nuclear power plant is closed, we will not feel safe,” she has said.

18:30

A Minsker has come up to the microphone and said: “I want to tell Lukashenka only one thing:“ Get out! ”

18:29

The participants of the action are chanting a new slogan “Let's send Sasha to Russia!”.

18:27

Activist Nina Bahinskaya has read out the appeal of the Razam solidarity movement, which refers to the absence of real elections in Belarus. The current “parliamentary elections” were rigged in the most arrogant way; people do not know the “deputies” appointed by the authorities. The rights and freedoms of Belarusians should be returned, and this process should begin right now, when the threat to the independence of Belarus from Russia is stronger than ever. Belarusians did not choose either Lukashenka or the deputies of his “chamber,” so they have no right to sign any integration documents with Russia, the statement said.

18:25

Activist of the Belarusian Social Democratic Hramada Alena is speaking. She spoke about the difficult life of young people in Belarus and wished “to get rid of this power as soon as possible so that Belarus finally becomes a truly free country”.

18:18

A Minsker has taken the floor, saying that he worked as a teacher. According to him, serfdom was actually introduced in schools, and teachers were forced to participate in elections falsifications. “But we are a free nation,” said the Minsker. - We will be masters in our country! People, wake up! We must fight this monster. ” The man harshly criticized Belarusian officials and “deputies” who “roll in clover” for the national money.

18:15

A young man named Dzmitry is speaking. He says that he is sure that Belarus will be free and prosperous. “Only together can we achieve this. Thank you for coming. We must continue, ”said the young man.

18:14

Mikalai Statkevich has suggested giving a microphone to the young participants of the Meeting of Free People.

18:13

Opposition activist Alena Talstaya is speaking. She has noted that she conducted her election campaign under the slogan “No alliance with Russia.” But there are no elections in Belarus, Talstaya stated, and the appointed “chamber guys” do not represent the Belarusian people, are not legitimate and do not have the right to sign any documents, including integration ones.

18:10

Yauhen Afnahel has called on all who came to the Meeting of Free People to shake hands and get to know each other. “It will come in handy,” the politician said.

18:09

Coordinator of the European Belarus Yauhen Afnahel, who was detained yesterday on the eve of the Meeting of Free People, is speaking now. “Lukashenka is so afraid of us that he turned off the lights in the square,” the politician noted, and urged the participants to turn on the flashlights in their mobile phones.

18:06

The participants of the action are holding posters with portraits of Aliaksandr Lukashenka, and inscription “Extremely Dangerous”.

18:04

More than 200 people are participating in the Meeting of Free People. The number of people is increasing.

18:03

Coordinator of the European Belarus civil campaign Yauhen Afnahel, one of the opposition leaders Mikalai Statkevich, activists of the European Belarus Iryna Khalip, Maksim Viniarski, Volha Nikalaychyk, Andrei Sharenda, Leanid Kulakou, Andrei Voynich, Dzmitry Kazlou, co-chair of the BCD party Pavel Seviarynets, and others have come to the Square.

18:00

The people are gathering in the Freedom Square. The song “I'm free” sounds. National and European flags are waving.