Police detain participants of “MTS in Belarusian” rally

24.11.2008. Tags: actions, detentions.
Source: Charter`97.

A rally with a call to was held in front of an office of MTS mobile service provider in Independence Street in Minsk. Protesters demanded services to be provided in Belarusian.

Activists of “Moladz BNF” and “The Young Front” organisations have taken part in the rally “MTS in Belarusian”. As the Charter’97 press-centre was told by one of the organisers of the picket Franak Vyachorka, young activists placed a stand of the campaign “MTS in Belarusian” in front of the office. They handed out flags and collected signatures of passers-by under a demand to make automated service in Belarusian, and to translate the package of documents for subscribers into Belarusian. It was also planned to bring an address of famous people of Belarus to the MTS office.

However, policemen arrived to the scene and arrested 6 out of 20 participants of the picket. Among others, Franak Vyachorka and one of the leaders of the Young Front Ivan Shyla were detained.

In the police department of Pershamajski district oppositionists were kept for more than an hour, and after their passport details were copied, they were released.

“It looks as if Minsk police works with their brain on autopilot. And this time policemen tried playing safe again. But I think that MTS company is to pay attention to providing its services in Belarusian,” Franak Vyachorka said after release.