"Employees Of Society For Development Of Water Transport And Passanger Safety Gave Blanket And Took To Other Side"

On Sunday, some people jumped into the Svislach River in Minsk to get away from the chasteners.

On Sunday, people were jumping into the water to get away from the law enforcement officers who were dispersing the protest march near the Independence Palace in Minsk. Several people jumped into the Svislach River, and were picked up by a boat of the Society for Development of Water Transport and Passanger Safety.

The tut.by portal has found one of the guys, he described the situation.

Aliaksandr Paplauski and his girlfriend - on the photo. The guy is 26 years old, that he participated in yesterday's procession says. They came to the barrier, which the law enforcement officers built near the Independence Palace, "stood there for 40 minutes".

- I saw a guy in military camouflage pulling another guy over the barrier. It seemed to me that I heard blows. There were also people in civilian clothes - I understood that they were also security officers.

When the protesters started to disperse, the detention began. People in uniform moved towards the protesters from behind the barriers.

- At first we were standing in line; there were very few of us, about 12 people. I saw that the law enforcers were moving towards us with shields. When people started running, we also ran. Then, we noticed that there were paddy wagons on the other side.

Aliaksandr says that the people ran from the law enforcers towards the water. They noticed a boat, two men managed to jump on it.

- The boat started to draw away. One man jumped into the water and was pulled out. I also jumped, swam up and I was also pulled out. And then I saw those who stayed, they were being detained. They were being severely beaten. Some of them also jumped into the water. There were four of us on the boat. And, I saw maybe nine people in the water, but I would not be surprised if there were more of them. They had jumped because they understood that otherwise they would be detained.

The guy says that some unknown persons in civilian clothes and police - several dozen people - were catching the protesters. There were paddy wagons standing along Winners' Avenue.

Aliaksandr says that there were no conversations on the boat, and he did not even understand that there were employees of the Society for Development of Water Transport and Passanger Safety nearby. They gave a blanket to the chilled to the bone people and took them to the other side.

- I went off a certain distance, soaking wet, to the car. Asked for a phone, called my girl.

Aliaksandr adds that he is outraged by the situation in the country.

- Illegality, lies and intimidation are taking place in the country.

According to the information provided by tut.by, the employees of the Society for Development of Water Transport and Passanger Safety, who helped the people that had jumped in the water, were taken to the Tsentralny District Police Department. There they give explanations about what happened. It is not yet known if they have been detained.