“Revolutions through social networks” held in Homel, Salihorsk, Mazyr and Babruisk
In Homel the protest action took place at the central
square of the city at 7 p.m. on 8 June. More than 100 people answered the
appeal of the Revolution through social network community in the social
network Vkontakte by coming to the action. The majority of the action
participants were youngsters, but there were also some elderly people.
Following the conditions of the action the people brought no symbols and
chanted no slogans. They just stood peacefully, talking to one another. The
police didn't come to the action.
About 50 people took part in the similar action held in the town of Salihorsk at the same
time. As in Homel, the majority of the action participants were youngsters. Most
of them weren't political or civil activists. In some time after the beginning
of the action the police captain Yauhen Zhylinski, responsible for work with
the opposition, came to the square and started asking the people about the aim
of their presence there.
Eight more police officers arrived at the square after the end of the action
and detained four men, allegedly for “identification”. The detainees were
released an hour later.
A similar action was to have taken place in Lenin Square in the town of Mazyr. However, the
police detained all who came there, charging them with violation of the public
order and use of obscene language in public. All in all, they detained 12
people and guarded them to the Mazyr District Police Department. All detainees
were released in 1.5 hours.
The action in the town of Babruisk
was attended by about 30 people. The main state ideologist of the town,
Aliaksandr Markachou, was present there. The police hid in the yards near the Lenin Square.
Human Rights Chronicle
