Brest Authorities Ban Pickets

11.12.2007. Tags: benefit cuts, pickets.

Brest executive committee does not let the activists of the united democratic forces to hold pickets against the repeal of the social benefits on 16 December.

As of morning of 11 December, 6 of 64 applications for holding pickets in the oblast capital were refused, Liudmila Dzenisenka, first secretary of Brest city committee of the Party of Communist Belarusian, said to BelaPAN.

The answers are the same: ‘It is refused in holding an action on the pointed address in accordance with article 5 of the law On mass actions in the Republic of Belarus (the article regulates the form of application for holding pickets) and with the decision of the CEC on determining a permanent place for holding mass events in Brest.’

According to L.Dzenisenka, the banned were planned to be held near large shopping centers of the city. The only permitted place for holding public and political mass events in Brest is the Locomotive stadium.

‘We sent three applications for holding pickets on the stadium, too, but haven’t received any answers yet. Probably, the officials will also find some irregularities there. In my view, the authorities are simply afraid of mass protest against repeal of the social benefits and curtailment of social programs. We think it could be a large action of protest in Brest if all applied pickets are held, because the law On State Social Benefits, Rights and Guarantees for Some Categories of People, which comes into force on 17 December, has aroused negative reaction of practically all common people,’ L.Dzenisenka noted.

It should be reminded that 130 applications for holding pickets against repeal of social benefits on 16 December were filed. More than 1 000 of applications were made in Belarus.