'I Celebrated Joyfully And Enjoyed Life, Thinking That 'Our Police Protect Us'

A Belarusian woman recounted how she dissuaded a friend from going to the Lukashists' 'celebrations'.

This weekend Minsk is celebrating City Day. On this occasion our hometown is covered with Lukashist rags, writes Charter97.org reader Volha.

Streets are blocked so that the traffic does not hinder the cortege and the coven. And I, meeting my friend, started complaining about how fed up I was with this whole Lukashist ideology.

My friend said that this year she would ignore the dances because she did not want to be involved in anything to do with the dictator. But she remembers how much fun she used to have at these celebrations, and notes that the police used to have 'a human face'. Not like now - they have become freaks, beating and abusing people.

With irony I replied that they were always freaks, there was just no order to beat, maim and kill. This regime was always inhuman. I told my friend about 2006, how my sister was taken off a bus returning from a rally. How they threatened to rape her and bury her in the forest so that no one would ever know where she had been.

I told her about 2010, how presidential candidates, members of their teams and journalists were beaten and tortured. How they had to risk their lives and health for the truth and freedom of their country.

My mate listened with her mouth open. She lived in the capital. She celebrated and enjoyed life, thinking that "our police protect us". That they were the ones who got freaks after 2020.

I smiled and said it's never too late. Ignoring Lukashist's holidays is also a civil position, a protest, a disobedience.

That's why there's no point in going there to take a picture for BT. Belarusians have such a season - potatoes. So let's harvest them together this weekend. And let our Minsk be empty and lonely.

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