Vitsebsk: police intimidate civil activists
On 11 October the
Vitsebsk youth intended to hold a flash-mob “Radiation 2.0” in order to express their
disagreement with the state plans to construct a nuclear power plant in Belarus. A
special event was created in the social network “Vkontakte” in order to
coordinate the actions.
However, on 10 October in the evening police officers came to one of its
participants. They didn't introduce themselves, but stated that they knew about
the preparation of the flash-mob. They warned the girl that according to the
new legislation it was considered as an unauthorized action, for which she
could receive administrative punishment.
They also started pressing on the girl's mother, saying that she would have to
look for her daughter in the detention center if she didn't return home after
the action.
The girl doesn't know how the policemen found her address, as she didn't put
her real name or other personal data on her page in “Vkontakte”. They told her
that they had seen hear at the People's Assembly, and all participants of the
action were shot on video.
The youth started organizing the action two weeks ago, before the amendment of
the legislation. They intended to gather near the City Hall on Lenin Street and at
certain time play on their mobile phones the announcement of the Prypiats city
radio about the accident on Chernobyl NPP, which had been broadcast on 27 April
1987.
The potential participant of the flash-mob thinks that the police became more
active because the People's Assembly in Vitsebsk gathered more than 200 people
who supported political demands.
