Solidarity day in Homel Ends with Arrests

On October 16 Homel youth organized a flash-mob “Solidarity Candles”. At 8 p.m. about 50 young people gathered near Kiryla Turauski monument. They came to express solidarity with the Belarusians, who went through political repression. This is the first flash-mob in Homel that gathered so many youth activists.

The authorities responded with arrests. The police and KGB people in plain clothes detained 20 activists. 30 policemen waited for the action participants near the monument. The area of the action was surrounded by OMON police.

The police began to arrest young people the moment they lit candles. The detained were put on a bus and taken to Centralny police department. The police video-filmed the detained, interrogated them and checked their IDs. The policemen did not draw up reports and refused to say their names. The police officers rudely searched the detained and swore during the interrogation. The last person of the detained was released in 1,5 hours.