Slutsk football fans charged with illegal demonstrating

As the web-site of the regional newspaper “Infa-Kurier” (www.kurjer.info) reports, its readers witnessed on February 23 a police raid on a group of young men marching with a banner in the town center.

Representatives of Slutsk district police department say the inscription on the banner was: “February 23 – Not a Reason to Tank Up. Blue-and-White Family for a Healthy Life”.

This banner was carried by some 20 fans of the football club “Slutsk”. Policeman stopped the march. Young people were detained and interrogated.

Policemen say that, most likely, some participants of the event will be charged with an administrative offence for “violation of the established order of holding meetings, rallies, street marches, demonstrations, and picketing”. According to the Code of Administrative Offences, they face a warning or a fine of 3 mln. rubles, or an administrative arrest.

“We had no idea that for such a small procession like ours we needed permission from the local authorities,” said one of the demonstrators, who preferred to remain anonymous.