New Action For Independence Of Belarus Held In Minsk

Belarusians protested against the “integration” with the Russian Federation.

An action in support of the independence of Belarus was held in Minsk yesterday. Several thousand people took part in the march and the demonstration - there have not been such a number of protesters in the center of Minsk since the March of Outraged Belarusians in 2017.

Today, the action in the Kastrychnitskaya Square started at 14.00.

Charter97.org website provided live text coverage of the events at the protest action in Minsk.

16.06

The fourth action for the independence of Belarus in recent time has ended, but the campaign in defense of the sovereignty of our country will continue. Thank you for being with us!

16.04

Pavel Seviarynets: “Everything is just beginning. I think that even yesterday’s number of people at the action is not the limit, this is only the beginning. I think that there will be more people joining ust. The campaign for independence has just started, and will develop.”

15.59

A man with two roses: “Lukashenka, this is for you. I have brought them to lay to you and the integration. I could only afford two - because of the salaries we have. It’s good that petrol here is more expensive than in the US, thank you that the ambulance is driving ancient vehicles, and children wear old clothes, and there is not enough money for anything. They say Belarusian people are patient: like, if you cut a Belarusian’s head off, he will tolerate two more times. But you know, even such Belarusians have run out of patience. We don’t want to tolerate you, Aliaksandr, any longer. I want to lay these two roses to you. i have come to protest against the power of Lukashenka even more than against the integration.”

15.57

Poet Yan Hryb, participant in many protests: “I am pleased that, in spite of everything, there are people who are ready to fight for independence by all means, including with weapons.”

15.56

“I have faith, I will come to the next rallies and protests. My soul hurts because of these agreements between Lukashenka and Putin,” an elderly woman says.

15.54

Pavel Seviarynets: “Today there was a special format of the action - namely in the form of a demonstration. As soon as Putin and Lukashenka meet again, there will be new protests. We urge people, including in the regions, to support the protest movement and monitor the situation. The meeting on new forms of protests will be held on December 26 at 12.00.”

15.52

The people are chanting “Long Live Belarus!”

15.51

Pavel Seviarynets has stated that the organizers of the action will monitor future negotiations between Putin and Lukashenka, and continue the campaign for the independence of Belarus.

15.50

The people are singing the “God Almighty” anthem.

15.49

Siuchyk has recited a poem by larysa Heniyush, and called on the people to live for Belarus.

15.47

Pavel Seviarynets: “We need to self-organize and hold actions not only in Minsk, but in all cities of Belarus. Do not be afraid!” Seviarynets has thanked everyone who came to today’s action.

15.45

Russian citizen Miron is speaking: “Putin is not a patriot of Russia, he usurped the right to speak on behalf of Russia, but he does not represent the real Russian people. Normal Russians will not join Belarus, they will not be at enmity with Ukraine. But Belarus is not joined by the Russian people, but by the gang who seized power. And the real Russia has long died.”

15.41

“Belarusians in history won not by quantity, but by fortitude and courage. It was so near Grunwald and Vorsha. I appeal to young people: remember the heroes of Kalinouski, they were 25 years old. They fought for freedom. So it was in 1990, when we, in the minority, declared independence, I believe in our victory because we are not winning by the masses, but by the truth, and the truth is ours,” says a young man named Ihar.

15.39

An elderly man is reciting a poem against integration. “They won’t intimidate Belarusian partisans,” the poem says.

15.36

Blogger Gray Cat (Dzmitry Kazlou) from Vorsha has taken the floor. “We need to put our asses off the sofas - then everything will change. It is enough if 3.5% come out - for us it is 300 thousand people - and the situation will change. Therefore, it is necessary to create activity in the regions, raise people. Instead of sitting with crisps near the monitor. People should come out, change the power, and then control this power,” said the Gray Cat.

15.32

“Russia is not a country with which we need to get closer. We need to strengthen our economy, become a European country. The era of oil is leaving, and selling our independence for oil is stupidity and treason,” a young girl says.

15.30

A young man is standing with a poster of Putin-Hitler. “We must fight for our independence. In a broad sense, fight - go to the square, to the streets. We must stop these green men,” he says.

15.28

“Nobody in Belarus supports integration, except for sick people. How can you sell your country? You can be good neighbors, but you can’t live in the same apartment as a neighbor. We are different nations, and the authorities carry out not only economic, but also political integration,” says young man Yury.

15.27

A woman is holding a poster “Down with Russian Occupants!” She says: “We need no Russian gangsters, we got independence in 1990.”

15.24

The youth is holding a “free poster” action in the square: everyone can come and complete the sentence “Independence is…”

15.23

He urges to chant “Freedom to Viniarski!”, “Freedom to Afnahel!”, “Freedom to Urbanovich!”. The people support this idea.

15.21

A man in camouflage is reading out a patriotic poem. “Without independence, we will be cattle-like”, he says, emotionally.

15.19

The people are chanting “Independence” and “Join in!”

15.18

“We will fight, take to the square, a hundred thousand will come out - everything will change, it will fall into place,” says a middle-aged man.

15.16

“All our problems come from Lukashenka. All this integration comes from him, they sell us, they drag us into the wars of the Russian Federation. Lukashenka’s dictatorship is to blame for this, so I have come here not only to protest against the alliance with Russia, but also against the dictatorship,” a woman with the national flag is saying.

15.16

“In Minsk, many people are unhappy with integration and are ready to defend independence by any means, including with weapons,” a young man says.

15.15

“I have lived all my life under Lukashenka, and it makes me sad. I don’t want to lose my country, my independence - that’s why I’m here,” a young girl says.

15.10

“The people of Rome once drove out King Tarquinius the Proud and a new form of power emerged - the republic. But what kind of republic do we have now? I turn to Lukashenka: your title will soon be updated - the last president of Belarus. Well, stop crawling to this Russia. If there is no Belarus - you and your officials will become garbage, you will become a disgrace!”, a representative of the For Freedom movement from Salihorsk says.

15.08

The “free microphone” is working. People from the regions are speaking. People are calling to open their eyes to the criminality that Lukashenka’s regime is creating.

15.07

The people are chanting: “Independence!”

14.57

Viachaslau Siuchyk: “Belarusians gathered here today and the whole world sees us. It’s bad that 28 road maps have been signed, but we showed the whole world who the enemies of Belarus are: Putin’s Russia and Lukashenka’s lackey regime. And we have a chance now. The world responded, we are allies. These are the countries of Eastern Europe. And now it will not be the same as 100 years ago: we will not be alone and we will not lose independence. I want to appeal to young people: many of you do not know any other authority than Lukashenka, but we need to get out of this yoke. Drazdy are used to living luxuriously and do not want to give us freedom, we must take it ourselves. And this is the task of our youth. We have to live on the holy Belarusian land. I believe in youth. Today Belarus is like a chained Hercules. And our task is to break these chains. And this can only be done in the street. Therefore, I urge young people to take to the streets when these 2 scary people meet again - Putin and Lukashenka.” Siuchyk has invited everyone to the Freedom Day on March 25 at 18.00. “I believe in you, I believe in God, I believe in Belarus and our victory!”, the politician has added.

14.54

Ales Marachkin: “I am collecting signatures under my painting: these are the signatures for the resistance to occupation. I have one word for Lukashenka, and this is “disgrace”. He doesn’t trust his people, hiding these roadmaps from us. This is just disgrace and treason. The society can do anything, and we will show this, as Lithuania showed at the time of the Baltic chain for independence.”

14.52

Ales Chakholski: “There is an economic occupation of our country under the guise of integration. Russia supplies low-quality parts to the MAZ, and we lose important contracts. Uzbekistan billed us and broke the contract - 2 thousand people in Zhodzina will lose their jobs because of this.”

14.50

“We will not give away a handful of Belarusian land! Kalinouski showed us this way,” a participant of the action says.

14.49

A woman is holding a poster with Larysa Heiyush’s poem. “I am turning to all Belarusans of the world - be brave, be free, stop sitting on the couch! Put your fear off your soul, it’s time to be called people!” Liudmila says.

14.48

The resolution of the demonstration is being read out.

14.46

Young student: “I was here yesterday, and I have come today. Let everyone see that everything is fine with me, let them not be afraid to come out and protest.”

14.44

Marachkin showed a picture where Lukashenka is depicted breaking a glass and it says “murderer”. The people are chanting “Disgrace!”

14.43

Ales Marachkin: “I urge people not to be aloof from the betrayal that Lukashenka is committing in St. Petersburg. He once broke a glass on the floor in the Kremlin, and continues to betray Belarus now.”

14.42

The people are chanting “No to Lukashenka!”, “No to Yarmoshyna!”, “No to Integration!”, “Yes to Belarus!”

14.41

There are many national flags in the Square, also the flags of the European Belarus civil campaign.

14.40

Although no one takes any interest in the instigator, the latter is being protected by the plain-clothed police officers.

14.36

An instigator with a pro-integration poster has appeared in the Square. No one is reacting to him.

14.35

Pavel Seviarynets has called for chanting “Long Live Belarus!”, “so that the authorities would hear that they cannot hush us down”.

14.34

A woman is standing with the banner “No to the Russian Oxbow.” “Russia is constantly waging war, while it is poor, there is a poor population, why do we need this?”, she says.

14.33

There are already more than a thousand people on the square.

14.30

Niakliayeu is reading out the poem “And the earth parted” about farewell to Kalinouski in Vilnius. “The people are us, we are Belarus and sovereignty. Power to the people!” The poet said.

14.28

Uladzimir Niakliayeu: “The blood of the Lutici, Litvins flows in us. And Belarus lives in it. They can say anything about us, but we ourselves must live with national pride and self-esteem. Without this, not a single nation will survive. We have it - that's why we are here. It was in Vilnius, it is now in the Square.”

14.23

Yury Belenki: “Deputies of Belarus’s independence will speak today. Recently, we bid farewell in Vilnius with our hero Kalinouski - Lithuania didn’t have time to issue visas to the whole load of Belarusians who wanted to be there. I remember the time when Zianon Pazniak was the first to express the idea of independence. I remember how we adopted our first Constitution, you heard it. We, the Belarusians, own full power here. I want to tell the officials: discard your marked integration cards, you are committing a crime, stop before it's too late. Belarusians suffer for the time being, but later, you will answer for your supranational bodies and secret negotiations. Everyone will answer, including those who remained inactive. We will not give up sovereignty. It is not in vain that we shed so much blood for it. I want Belarusians to return from the rally to their families today and tell them what the danger of the integration with Russia is. I’m sure we will defend independence.”

14.22

Seviarynets is reading out the Article of the Constitution “On Treason”.

14.21

Seviarynets is reading out quotes from the Constitution of Belarus, stressing that this particularly refers to the “people with shoulder straps”.

14.20

Several hundred people have already gathered.

14.19

The people are chanting: “Freedom to political prisoners! Freedom to Afnahel! Freedom to Viniarski! Freedom to Urbanovich! Freedom to Belarus!”

14.18

A participant of the action has a portrait of Putin-Hitler.

14.17

The people are following Seviarynets around the Square.

14.16

The people are chanting: “No alliances with imperial Russia!”, “Do not be afraid!”

14.15

“I have come here to breathe free air. I am a Belarusian, in the USSR I served in the submarine fleet for only a third of my life, and two-thirds of my life passed in Belarus, I was born and live here. And I will look for like-minded people,” says a former submarine officer in a Navy cap.

14.13

The songs “Where are those warriors with whom we went to the Crimea” and “Our sons” are sounding.

14.12

“I’m tired of this scumbag, allegedly elected by entire nation,” says an elderly man with portraits of disappeared politicians. He also has a portrait of his father, arrested under Stalin. “One bastard began to destroy people, and the second continues,” the man says.

14.11

The people are singing “Pahonia” hymn to the lyrics of Maksim Bahdanovich.

14.07

Uladzimir Niakliayeu: “The people opposed the incorporation of Belarus by Russia. We are the descendants of the people who created the GDL - the most powerful and democratic state in their time. Therefore, national pride does not allow us to stay at home, and we come out to the square. Oil and gas freebie corrupted our power, but worthy people, in whose veins the blood of the Lutici, Litvins run, take to the streets.”

14.07

The protesters have met the policemen in the Square with whistling and “Disgrace on You!” chants.

14.06

Uladzimir Niakniayeu has arrived to the Square.

14.05

The people are chanting “Long Live Belarus!”

14.03

Pavel Seviarynets: “They have inked 28 roadmaps on integration, so what we need to do is increase resistance. We will involve new people and invent new forms of resistance.” The politician has announced a brainstorm on December 26.

14.02

There are about 100 people in the Square, many young people.

14.01

“We don’t want to be a colony of the Russian Empire,” an elderly participant of the protests is saying to the journalists.

14.00

“It is very inspiring that there were so many people yesterday,” says a young man from Mahiliou. “Russia is an aggressor, a wild horde. All agreements with it are illegal, Lukashenka himself has been illegitimate since 1996. Under the new government, everything will be canceled, and there will be a border with Russia,” he has added.

13.58

There are already dozens of people in the Square, including Viachaslau Siuchyk, and independent bloggers.

13.54

Liudmila came with the banner “Do not sell independence”. “I saw Viktar Hanchar and Yury Zakharanka just like I am seeing you now, and spoke to them. They were such bright people. We had so many hopes, so much inspiration. Then it all collapsed because of Lukashenka, and now the Kremlin looms ahead. Russia will send our guys to war. I appeal to mothers: do not give your children to the empire’s wars. They poison us with alcohol and tobacco kiosks, and now they want to take our sons to the Russian wars. I can’t stand it! I used to be afraid to protest, but now it’s time to stop being silent!”, a woman is saying, emotionally.

13.53

There are already several dozen people in the Square.

13.50

Yury from Mahiliou: “I was here yesterday, and I have come today to show solidarity with the youth. Everyone wants to be independent.”

13.48

“Lukashenka is trapped. Belarusians need to prepare for protests, including during the holidays. Street protests remain the most important part of upholding independence. They will continue, and we will come up with new forms of street protests,” Pavel Seviarynets has told reporters.

13.47

The situation is peaceful, the weather in Minsk is good. Along with Pavel Seviarynets, people with white-red-white flags are gathering in the Square.

13.45

Pavel Seviarynets has appeared in the Square.