Actions against Third Presidential Term All over Belarus

On 10 October in Minsk there took place pre-electoral anti-referendum meeting of democratic opposition. It was conducted under the slogan “Yes to Belarus, no to Lukashenka!”. The police confiscated several banners and detained three participants of this action.

The application for the meeting in Banhalor square was filed by the deputy of the Chamber of Representatives Siarhey Skrabets. About five hundred people took part in it.

The police behaved quite violently from the very beginning. They checked personal belongings of citizens, looking for anti-referendum banners. As a result they detained the members of “Young Front” Zmitser Dashkevich and Barys Haretski and confiscated from them the banner with the inscription “No to third term!”. They also detained the member of the Party of Communists of Belarus Uladzimir Karpukhin. It was prohibited to the “Palats” folk band to perform at the action. Special police forces also confiscated a large banner with the inscription “Yes to Belarus, no – to Lukashenka!”.

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About five hundred of citizens took part in the meeting against the third term to president that took place in Homel on 10 October. Homel City Executive Committee permitted the meeting near the House of the deaf in Yubileynaya Street. The candidates of the coalition “5+” Ales Karniyenka, Yury Varonezhtsaw, Viktar Homich, etc. spoke at the meeting that was conducted under the slogan “Yes to Belarus, no – to Lukashenka”. The book “Occasional President” by Pavel Sharamet and Sviatlana Kalinkina that was distributed at it enjoyed great popularity among the public.

After the meeting the police detained the car of the member of United Civil Party Uladzimir Katsora. They escorted him to Homel Chyhunachny Borough Board of Internal Affairs where the car was searched. Most probably, they searched for the book, but found only a filing of newspapers.

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In Vitsebsk candidates agitated in the streets for four hours. The police detained the candidate of Belarusian People’s Front Nina Kavaliova for 2,5 hours.

The agitation started at 11 a.m. Candidates of coalition “5+” intended to distribute agitation materials, devoted to the election and the referendum. Representatives of “LewSapeha Foundation” joined the action and distributed fly-sheets with the urge “Say “NO” at the referendum!”.

The candidates divided the city into several parts. They distributed the material near large shops, dormitories, at markets and transport stops.

Policemen from Vitsebsk Kastrychnitski Borough Board of Internal Affairs were the most vigilant. In an hour they detained the BPF candidate Nina Kavaliova and her proxy Liavon Pankratsenka.

Members of the BPF Party and two OSCE observers came to release the detainees. The police set them free, but confiscated five hundred of agitation fly-sheets.

The members of Belarusian Social Democratic Party “Narodnaya Hramada” Aliaksey Hawrutsikaw and Alena Famina also felt the attention of the police. Haven’t found any other reasons, policemen of Vitsebsk Pershamayski BBIA ordered them to go away from the entrance of a shop not to stand on the way of consumers. When consumers answered they had no pretensions to the BSDP members, the police searched their belongings and drove away.

According to RFE/RL