Poster With Information About Repressions In Belarus Installed On Polish-Belarusian Border
6- 21.10.2024, 15:23
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The activist explained the purpose of the action.
Belarusian activist Siarhei Stalmakou held a solitary picket on the Polish-Belarusian border. On the Polish side, about 30 meters from the barrier, on October 19, he installed a poster with information about political affairs in Belarus. He explained this action by the desire to inform Belarusians about what is happening in the country, writes Most.
“Warning. You are entering the Republic of Belarus, where 468 people were subjected to political repressions over the 3 summer months of this year,” the poster says in Russian and English.
According to Polish law, solitary pickets are approved on a notification basis. Siarhei says that he sent an application in advance indicating the date and place of the picket to the local administration.
The activist says that one of his goals was to understand whether Belarusians have reliable information about the scale of political persecution. It turned out that for many this information was new.
— An intelligent-looking woman from Brest looked at the poster, came up and said: “Is this how many people have been there since 2020?” I said: “Read it carefully. This is only for three summer months.” Of course, she has eyes ... — says Siarhei.
According to him, many Belarusians who were returning home from Poland that day paid attention to the poster, discussed it among themselves, and recalled Stalin's repressions. Some even took pictures.
— I told them: “Look, be careful with these pictures. If they check [your phone], you can get into trouble for this in Belarus,” he says.
There were no problems with the police because of the action. The police approached Siarhei, asked whether the picket had been approved and how long it would last. And they even asked if he was being offended. And in case of conflicts, they recommended that he contact them. However, this was not necessary.
Siarhei believes that tourists need this kind of “education”.
— I am absolutely sure that any actions for impartial information are necessary. Because they have no information inside the country, — Siarhei explains. According to his calculations, during the action he managed to attract the attention of several hundred people to the topic of repression.
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