Belarus: Lukashenko deploys army as fresh protests erupt - DW (English)

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Tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets of Minsk on Sunday in the latest mass demonstration against the Belarusian government.

The demonstrators, draped in red-and-white opposition flags, descended on Independence Square, chanting slogans against President Alexander Lukashenko, who secured victory in a controversial election earlier this month.

"The government has cut off the internet to avoid images of protests spilling out. Police officers using megaphones are reminding people that the protests are illegal, however, the protesters don't look very scared," said Nick Connolly, DW's correspondent in the Belarusian capital.

Local news outlets published videos on social media showing water cannon and riot police with shields moving towards Independence Square.

So far, authorities have arrested nearly 7,000 people, with protest organizers alleging police of torturing and abusing the detainees.

When asked whether Lukashenko would resort to violence again, one of the protesters told DW: "Right now, no, but it's possible [in the future] because our president is pretty crazy."

Another demonstrator, who had been an observer for the August 9 election, said he was "shocked" at Lukashenko's claimed win.

"It [the result] was a blatant lie. The numbers were so off that you couldn't say that the election was fair. I can't forgive that," he told DW.

A Belarusian election observer spoke to DW

Read more: Belarus protests: Prisoners accuse police of torture, detail 'beatings'

Army 'to protect monuments'

The Defense Ministry announced Sunday it will deploy the army to protect national monuments from protesters and any unrest near these sites will not be tolerated.

The ministry said it would intervene to protect World War II memorials, which it described as "sacred places," and ordered the closure of four metro stations in central Minsk.

"The news [of the army deployment] has outraged people here. So far only the riot police have been used against the protesters. It is unclear whether these soldiers will be willing to use force against unarmed demonstrators," said DW's Connolly.

On Saturday, Belarus' BelTA state news agency cited Lukashenko as ordering his defense minister to enact "the most stringent" army measures while visiting military units at Grodno, near the country's border with Poland.

Read more: Belarus: Lukashenko orders 'stringent' military response

The autocratic six-term president again claimed NATO troops in Poland and Lithuania were "seriously stirring" near Belarus's borders — assertions denied by trans-Atlantic leaders in recent days.

Belarus' army must "protect the territorial integrity of our country," said Lukashenko, adding "military support is evident," a reference to NATO.

EU's criticism

The European Union rejected the Belarus election results and has vowed to impose sanctions over the government's crackdown on protesters.

Top EU diplomat Josep Borell warned that Belarus should not be allowed to become a "second Ukraine" and said it was necessary to deal with the 65-year-old Lukashenko, Europe's longest-serving leader.

Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, the 37-year-old opposition leader who fled to Vilnius after Lukashenko declared victory in the presidential vote, has urged protesters to continue to exert pressure on the authorities, saying it was "important to continue to be united in the struggle for the rights."

The authorities have to understand "we are not a protest movement... we are a majority and we will not step away. We are not afraid of them anymore," she told AFP.

Read more: Belarusians 'will never accept' Lukashenko's leadership, says opposition's Svetlana Tsikhanouskaya

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  Belarus in crisis

  Allegations of vote fraud

  Alexander Lukashenko declared a landslide victory in presidential polls on August 9. According to the official count, the 65-year-old won 80% of the votes while his main challenger, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, got only 10%. Lukashenko's opponents accuse him of rigging the vote to secure a sixth term after 26 years in power.

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  Belarus in crisis

  Protests erupt

  After the results were announced, Belarusians took to the streets to demand an election rerun monitored by independent observers. Security forces responded with a brutal crackdown. The violence, which Lukashenko blamed on foreign interference, was widely condemned internationally, prompting the EU to prepare sanctions against implicated Belarusian officials.

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  Belarus in crisis

  Violent crackdown

  In the first four days of protests, at least two people died and almost 7,000 were detained. But rather than peter out, rallies calling for Lukashenko's resignation have grown. Thousands of protesters have joined daily marches demanding the release of political prisoners and an end to police violence.

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  Belarus in crisis

  Nationwide movement

  More than 100,000 people took part in a "March for Freedom" on August 16 — one of the biggest ever shows of opposition to Lukashenko's rule. Protesters chanted "Leave!," and waved the red and white historic Belarusian flag that has become a common sight at rallies. Lukashenko scrapped the flag when he came to power, and it has since become a symbol of opposition to him.

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  Belarus in crisis

  'I'm for Lukashenko'

  Lukashenko's supporters held a rally of their own on August 16, although their numbers were dwarfed by the opposition's march. "I'm for Lukashenko," 68-year-old supporter Alla Georgievna told Reuters. "I don't understand why everyone has risen up against him. We get our pensions and salaries on time thanks to him."

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  Belarus in crisis

  Workers put down tools

  Workers in state-owned industries, considered to be Lukashenko's traditional support base, have started turning against him. Thousands of factory workers took part in walkouts after the opposition called a general strike. Footage from August 17 that was widely shared on social media showed workers at a Minsk tractor plant heckling Lukashenko with shouts of "Leave!" as he tried to give a speech.

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  Belarus in crisis

  State media join strike

  Several hundred journalists, camera operators and other employees at Belarusian state broadcaster BT also walked off the job. Local media said staff had issued demands urging management to end censorship and recognize the election results as invalid. During the strike, "Belarus 1" TV broadcast an empty studio with music playing the background.

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  Belarus in crisis

  Opposition in exile

  Soon after the protests began, opposition presidential candidate Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya fled to neighboring Lithuania, citing threats to her safety. In exile, she has renewed calls for fresh elections and said she is "ready to take responsibility and act as a national leader." Lukashenko, meanwhile, has conceded that new polls would be possible — but only after amending the constitution.

Russia calls for dialogue

The president's powerful ally, Russia, has warned European leaders against interfering in Belarus, saying it would step in to quell the post-election unrest if necessary.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Sunday slammed Tikhanovskaya and said that her program is "neither constructive nor aimed at a dialogue."

Read more: Opinion: Putin wants Belarus in Moscow's orbit — with or without Lukashenko

He warned that opposition's call for Lukashenko's resignation is pushing Belarus toward a Venezuela-like scenario, adding that it is impossible to prove that the Belarusian strongman did not win the presidential vote.

Moscow called for a broad national dialogue in Belarus to resolve the situation, according to the RIA news agency.

US Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun is scheduled to visit Belarus' neighbor Lithuania next week as part of a trip that will also include a stop in Russia for talks on the election fallout. According to AFP, Biegun has also planned a meeting with Tikhanovskaya.

Message to church leaders

Lukaschenko has also threatened Belarus religious leaders, who earlier this week called for restraint by authorities and priestly access to jailed protestors.

On his presidential website, he said he was "astounded by the stance of our religious confessions," warning them not to expect state "indifference." 

The majority of 9.5 million Belarussians are Orthodox; 15% are Catholic. 

shs/mm (Reuters, AFP)

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August 23, 2020 at 08:34PM
https://www.dw.com/en/belarus-lukashenko-deploys-army-as-fresh-protests-erupt/a-54665868

Belarus: Lukashenko deploys army as fresh protests erupt - DW (English)

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