Bialynichy: picket against foreign airbases banned as well

Bialynichy District Executive Committee didn't let the local representatives of the Belarusian Popular Front to hold a picket on 8 September against the placement of foreign military bases on the territory of Belarus.

The official reason is that from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. a traditional autumn fair for the sale of agricultural products will take place in front of the district Culture center.

An appropriate answer signed by the head of the Bialynichy District Executive Committee Aliaksandr Varonin was received a Bialynichy member of the Belarusian Popular Front Varys
Vyrvich.

"I believe that the reasons for the picket ban are far-fetched. None of the officials mentioned this “agricultural fair” when the application for the picket was filed. Moreover, the district state-owned newspaper “Zara nad Druttsiu” didn't publish any announcements about the fair, though usually such events are announced one-two weeks before their holding. Even if the ground in front of of the Culture center will be really occupied by the fair, the authorities could propose another place for the picket. To my mind, the Bialynichy officials didn't know how to justify the picket denial, as far as the application for it was filed in strict accordance with the law. So they decided to hold an agricultural fair this day.”

Bear in mind that the Bialynichy activists of the Belarusian Popular Front filed the appication for holding a picket against the deployment on the territory of the Republic of Belarus of foreign military bases and military facilities on 19 August. They asked the executive committee to allow holding the picket at 11-12 a.m. on 8 September on the ground in front of the district center of culture in the town of Bialynichy. It was assumed that the picketing will be attended by five people.