March 25 - The Day of Freedom - in Minsk
October square was blocked by several layers of the police cordon today. Thousands of people couldn’t get through and went to Janka Kupala park instead, where the demonstration took place. The estimated number people there was 20,000-30,000. Then people decided to go to the jail on Akrescina, to demand freedom to hundreds of political prisoners who are now in that jail. On the way to the jail, police suddenly blocked the demonstrators (an estimated number of 3,000-10,000 protesters were marching there), and started beating them up, and throwing smoke grenades with some gas into the crowd. There’s a big mess and conflicting reports as to how many people are beaten up and how many arrested. People are being carried away on stretchers. Some sources say that Milinkevich is arrested. Some say he is already released. It’s all very hectic. More later.
Upd 1: One of the opposition leaders, presidential candidate Alexander Kazulin is badly beaten and arrested, according to some reports.
Upd 2: On two blogs (and a news site afn.by) I just read unconfirmed reports about one protester killed by the police, with a skull broken.
Upd 3: Alexander Milinkevich is most probably arrested, RFE/RL reports. Also his right hand man, his press secretary Paval Mazhejka is arrested.
Upd 4: We are top news on CNN right now. Unforutanately, CNN correspondents didn’t seem to be at the spot where the beating started, and tear gas or smoke grenades were thrown.
Upd 5: It’s over. Police violently broke up the protest. Hundreds more arrested (in addition to hundreds who were arrested in the last days). Now, I suppose, we just have to wait for the first-hand reports and photos from fellow-bloggers who managed to get away safely.
Upd 6: a fellow-blogger Lipski reports that arrests are taking place in other parts of downtown. Several dozen young people (who probably left the main group earlier) were standing in front of McDonald’s near Niamiha trade center, when suddenly a bus full of riot police arrived at the scence. They came out and started beating up the people. After that they made them lie in the mud, face down. And then dragged them violently into the bus one by one.
Upd 7: Beltelecom, a state monopolist in telecommunications, switched off dial-up internet access in Minsk.
March 25th, 2006 at 4:28 pm
Ok I confirm New on Belarus- Minsk was first page on BBCNEWS (1 pm)in english language ; movie when people wanted to superate police close to october square! USA and EU have rectrictions for belarus government!
FREEDOM and Peace in Minsk !!!! from Italy
March 25th, 2006 at 4:43 pm
CNN reports that Milinkevich denies he had been arrested.
March 25th, 2006 at 4:48 pm
Suzanne: As I said, it’s very hectic at this moment. I saw several reports that he’s arrested. One that he’s not. And one that he was arrested, but released…
March 25th, 2006 at 4:50 pm
Photographs took from the earlier peaceful part of the protests: http://users.livejournal.com/df_/155278.html
March 25th, 2006 at 4:58 pm
Thanks! And here are more photos
* http://www.svaboda.org/articlesfeatures/politics/2006/3/B37489A9-FE8D-4100-8D7F-FE2CED33A262.html
March 25th, 2006 at 5:04 pm
Yea, I know it is hectic.
What about the unconfirmed report about a possible death? Who is s/he?
Furthermore.
1) Reuters state:
Separately, Interfax news agency reported that Alexander Milinkevich, the main leader of the opposition, had also been detained but an aide denied the report.
“A few minutes ago I spoke to Milinkevich’s aides. He has not been arrested and is in safety,” said Sergei Voznyak, press secretary for Milinkevich’s election staff.
But he said Milinkevich’s personal spokesman Pavel Mazheiko had been arrested.
2) Belarus is also Top News at BBC World. One person was laying lifeless at the ground (unconscious?) in the snow. Friends are taking care of him/her.
3) CNN showed pictures on which it is seen gas (tear gas?) had been used. One guy (/) was laying lifeless on the street. (It is not the same as the one BBC showed).
March 25th, 2006 at 5:06 pm
… And then A.L. will proclaim emergency and martial law.
And then 50000 people will go to the streets and tanks will ride through Miensk.
And then a bunch of soldiers will join the protesters.
And then one of his cabinet ministers will suddenly commit suicide. And another one will defect to Slovakia and proclaim himself as the prime minister of the new government in exile. And no one will hear about him again.
And then A.L., if he’s lucky, will defect to Turkmenistan.
And then freedom will win.
And Putin, if he still has some brains left, will be very very quite about all this and will congratulate the winner in the end. (And if he will be stupid enough to help A.L., his end will come soon enough too, which is not so bad either.)
March 25th, 2006 at 5:35 pm
1) Vladimir Putin is now presiding in the G-8.
2) Vladimir Putin congratulated Lukashenka on free, transparent, democratic victory even before the official results were announced.
March 25th, 2006 at 5:40 pm
Well, yes, but it was before someone’s skull was cracked. He should really keep his mouth shut now, if he doesn’t want to make EU too angry.
Anyway, i’m optimistic about Belarus.
I’m less optimistic about Israel - we have elections on Tuesday, and Hamas-lovers are set to win and send this country to hell. But i’ll blog that at my own space…
March 25th, 2006 at 5:47 pm
Aharoni: It’s not just this one demonstration. I just don’t understand how Putin, pretending to be a “democratic” rule and presiding over G-8 (!) meeting this year, can give so much open and hidden support to Lukashenka, and yet everyone is OK with that.
March 25th, 2006 at 5:51 pm
Aharoni, don’t forget to mention Olmerts convergence plan and what your opinion is concerning this plan ;)
Admin: First of all, Russia can get away with many things. Secondly, I believe Putin sees Belarus as a corridor against Nato countries and the EU.
March 25th, 2006 at 5:57 pm
Indeed, I also think that Putin sees Belarus as an “appendix” to Russia and an additional shield against his enemies (the free world).
The good thing is that how Putin sees the world, and how the world actually is, are two different things. ;)
March 25th, 2006 at 6:04 pm
More photos http://drugoi.livejournal.com/1750445.html
March 25th, 2006 at 6:11 pm
PS. Minister of internal affairs Uladzimir Navumau (Naumov) just made a statement that police didn’t beat up anybody.
By the way, Navumau is one of the main suspects, involved in abducting and possibly killing Belarus’ opposition politicians.
March 25th, 2006 at 6:19 pm
Interesting. So what does the State TV do with the images which have been shown by CNN and BBC?
:)
March 25th, 2006 at 6:37 pm
Don’t forget that in 2008 Russia and Belarus are going to share the same currency which could mean that they were supposed to unite into one with Putin as president.
March 25th, 2006 at 8:09 pm
Suzanne, you asked for it, you got it - http://aharoni.blogspot.com/2006/03/convergence.html
March 25th, 2006 at 10:25 pm
Charter97.org’s up and down (”502 Proxy Error”) - deliberate DOS attempts or just overloaded?
March 25th, 2006 at 11:17 pm
i’ve seen this before.
http://5tv.com.ua/img/forall/no_comments/5kanal_rozgin_minsk.wmv
This a small footage of what happend today. hundreds are getting
arrested again…
the amount of people you see is because the crowd got separated, in
some places 3-10 thousand people…
diaries of a girl who took part in some of these events
http://community.livejournal.com/minsk_news/141064.html#cutid1
scroll down
http://www.svaboda.org/articlesfeatures/politics/2006/03/0adf2c87-7991-48fa-ae5c-28641c5d1721.html
http://community.livejournal.com/minsk_news/158108.html#cutid1
http://editorial.gettyimages.com/source/search/FrameSet.aspx?s=EventImagesSearchState%7c0%7c1%7c0%7c28%7c0%7c0%7c0%7c1%7c0%7c0%7c0%7c57163740%7c0%7c0%7c0%7c0%7c0%7c%7c%7c0%7c0%7c0%7c0%7c0&p=&tag=1
March 26th, 2006 at 1:21 am
Denial of Service by the goverment. They bought the necessary technology from the Chinese a while back. Many sites were down as on the day of the elections.
March 26th, 2006 at 2:26 am
http://www.muzyka.oldschool.pl/mp3/pliki/dzieciaki.mp3
March 26th, 2006 at 2:43 am
God help Belarus and all her courageous sons and daughters who stand up for truth, freedom, dignity and justice in the face of lies, oppression, incivility and injustice in the wake of today’s sad and painful events.
Крыважэрныя і падступныя не пражывуць палавіны дзён сваіх. (Псалтыр 54:24)
Kryvažernyja i padstupnyja nie pražyvuć pałaviny dzion svajich. (Psałtyr 54:24)
Кровожадные и коварные не доживут и до половины дней своих (Псалтирь 54:24)
Bloodthirsty and deceitful people will not live out half their days. (Book of Psalms 54:24)
March 26th, 2006 at 4:29 am
Hryshka, thank you. That’s a very good Bible quote. I think it’s applicable in our case.
March 26th, 2006 at 4:34 am
P.P.S. One of the videos from the demonstration:
http://5tv.com.ua/img/forall/no_comments/5kanal_rozgin_minsk.wmv
March 26th, 2006 at 5:38 am
Nyama za shto, esteemed host. Those words need to be heard in Belarusian, Russian and English to remind politicians of all stripes, the world over, that they are not exempt from moral strictures and consequences for their shenanigans. They’d make a good caption for portraits of Lukashenka to remind those who think they’re standing on the side of “law and order” by supporting or tolerating the status quo that they just might not be standing on the side of good and right, as they think they are. As one Russian saint even said, “God’s in what’s right, not in might.” Or as John Lennon sang:
Instant karma’s gonna get you
Gonna knock you right on the head
You better pull yourself together
Pretty soon you’re gonna be dead
What in the world are you thinking of?
Laughing in the face of love?
What on earth you tryin’ to do?
It’s up to you, it’s up to you
Instant karma’s gonna get you
Gonna look you right in the face
Better pull yourself together, darlin’
And join the human race
How in the world you gonna see?
Laughin’ at fools like me?
Who in the hell d’you think you are?
A superstar?
Instant karma’s gonna get you
Gonna knock you right off your feet
Better recognize your brothers
In everyone you meet
Why in the world are we here?
Surely not to live in pain and fear!
Good words for dictators, bullies and baton-wielding riot police everywhere.
March 26th, 2006 at 1:29 pm
Dialup access is working… thought I’d tell (verified, 25th March in the evening).
Highly worried as for what is to come. (Atleast) One person presumed dead, thousands of people arrested, thousands more injured. Exactly what is the motivation of these “policemen” to commit such atrocities? Money?
International relations are going down like a stalling Antonov. Did wish the EU would impose more than visa bans (weren’t those already in effect?)… full economic sanctions and ending all trade to/from Belarus would have much more effect. As a number of interviewed people stated, they vote for lukashenka cuz they have a job. A large number of people would lose their jobs this way… I would feel sorry for these people, but it would hurt exactly where lukashenka’s support is coming from (as a result reduce / eliminate his main propaganda topic). I think… the best sanction should also include to strip lukashenka of all of his rights, including the right of being a human being. Would be nice to turn the tables, of over a decade of stealing the rights of 10 million people. In essence he would officially be an animal, no animal can be president right? He therefore would violate the constitution… then again, what would stop him from just changing it like he has done before?
The lies that lukashenka spews on state tv makes me laugh, like how he states there’s no corruption. I do wonder, what about that report that was on the radio some time ago… warning truck drivers not to stop for police as their cargo would be confiscated without reason. Other things worry me, how can any self-respecting parent accept words like “to wring their neck like that of a duck”? It could be one of his or her children he’s talking about!
He speaks about another landslide victory and what a smooth victory he has achieved. How smooth is that “victory” really? I’ve never seen so much violence against CIVILIANS, so many threats, such abuse, in the same country… in such a short timespan… EVER. What will be next? Public executions with a guillotine? Ah! I shouldnt say that, Im giving the KGB more ideas to harass the public.
Did have a bit more positive and constructive idea during the week, to set up a website (belarus-president.net or something like this) where people can voice their opinion as what they would change if they were president of Belarus. Think its a little more constructive than various forms of hacktivism (one of my websites was taken down by some french newbie hacktivist named naonak, congratulations next time I’ll buy you a PHP guide for dummies). Perhaps to in the future present this list to lukashenka to show him exactly how happy people are with his rule.
I’d love to say more, however I havent slept for the last 50 hours so I’m a bit tired. I wish all Belarusian citizens well, and I hope some “stray” bullet finds its way into lukashenka’s forehead. Hereby I also formally invite the KGB to come by my house, I wish to “relieve some stress” ;)
March 26th, 2006 at 1:34 pm
One of our hitch hikers (more info is on the weblog of mine) went to Belarus on the day of the election and wrote a witness report. It was unlike yesterday a calm demonstration, but there was reason enough for fear, obviously:
http://canigetaright.blogspot.com/2006/03/election-day-in-minsk-report-of.html
March 27th, 2006 at 8:12 am
Can someone verify or say more about this video, which was made on march 19th and allegedly shows some kind of election fraud.
19. März 2006, Minsk, str. Artilleristov, 16 scool №74.
http://www.media-ocean.de/2006/03/25/videobeleg-fuer-wahlbetrug-in-belarus/ (blog source)
http://youtube.com/watch?v=-MbxsK9JPZQ (video link)
March 27th, 2006 at 11:21 am
Thanks so much for all the information and analysis during these very important events. br23 blog was quite valuable in the spread of understanding. Thank you.
March 27th, 2006 at 3:28 pm
My sincere thanks to br 23. I had been concerned Mar 26, when I was unable to access your site. So glad you’re back.
Your blog, and a few others, are important in keeping the world informed. You have many friends and supporters here in the US (where, incidentally, we too must remain constantly vigilant against our own would-be dictator/president who considers himself above the law).
The struggle for freedom is neverending. I admire your spirit. Never give up!
March 29th, 2006 at 2:44 pm
Dear me, I’ve just read through a translated version of that page. It’s been taken with a hidden digicam during early voting. Perhaps Administrator would be so kind as to try and understand what they’re saying. As far as the (poorly) translated page says The man on the video asks why some of the stacks (which the other woman was sorting or checking) for candidate A go on the stack of candidate B (I hear the name Lukashenka multiple times, Kazulin and Milinkevich also). Then another tells them to leave the table right away. Note that this is as far as I could understand this poor babelfish translation. I cannot say as if the source of the video is legitimate, but it does seem so. A good way to verify is to check if the interior of the building on that video looks the same as it does now.
Aikane, this site was down for a moment during march the 26th. See http://www.br23.net/en/2006/03/27/web-server-down-arrests-continue/ for more information regarding this topic.
February 2nd, 2008 at 1:19 pm
Thanks for sharing
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