Picket against foreign airbases banned in Bykhau

Bykhau District Executive Committee banned a picket against the deployment of foreign military bases. The action was to have taken place on 8 September at the local park “50 Hadou Peramohi”. The head of the Bykhau district organization of the Belarusian Popular Front, writer and journalist Siarhei Antonau, received an appropriate answer on 7 September.

The official reason for the ban is that on 3-10 September 2013 repair works will be held by the “Bykhauraivodakanal” enterprise.

“This is just a pretext to ban the picket”, said Siarheo Antonau. “Our public utilities really hold some repairs in the park, which is quite strange as the Day of Knowledge was held on 1 September, whose preparation took much money. However, nobody works there at the weekend, that's why the picket wouldn't have hindered any repair works in any case.

According to Siarhei Antonau, soon he will address the ideological department of the Bykhau District Executive Committee, so that the ideologists could explain in which part of the city he could hold his picket, not to recevie another ban.

"This is not the first rally in Bykhau we are prohibited to hold,” says Siarhei Antonau. “Our officials always have some insurmountable obstacles if the application for holding a picket is filed by representatives of the oppositional party “Belarusian Popular Front”. Therefore, in the near future I will visit the Bykhau District Executive Committee in order to get a concrete answer, which place in our city was determined for mass evements. I will also specify whether any repairs, fairs or construction works are planned in this place, so that nothing would hinder the picket.”