"Dziady" rally held in Minsk

A traditional procession and rally in Kurapaty in the memory of the ancestors who died during the Bolshevik terror, was held in Minsk on 3 November to mark “Dziady” (“Forefathers Eve”). The monitoring of the action was held by members of the HRC “Viasna” with the participation of Belarusian Helsinki Committee and other volunteers.

The participants of the event gathered at 10:30 am at the watch factory (metro station "Park Chelyuskintsev"). The procession to the Kurapaty forest was held from 11.00 to 2.30 p.m.

10:50 The march, organized by the Conservative Christian Party BPF was authorized by the authorities. About one hundred people gathered near the watch factory. Participants of the rally hold white-red- white flags , symbols of the party and the banners and streamers which were used during the previous mass events.

The observers who stood in the underground pedestrian crossing near the watch factory “Luch” said they were approached by a police office without badge, who demanded that they leave the place. He refused to introduce himself. He explained that the underground crossing is a crowded place and it was prohibited to monitor there.

11:00 According to Radio “Liberty”, a participant dressed in a T-shirt with the inscription “Lukashenka, resign!” was approached by the policemen who asked him to take it off and hide to avoid conflicts.

11:05 The demonstrators formed a column and moved in the direction of Kurapaty, chantring "Long Live Belarus!" and singing "Pahonia".

11:20 According to the observers' estimate, the procession was attended by about 400 people.

11:50 There are no policemen in unifor. The observers counted about 60 plainclothes officers.

12:00 Participants of the rally came to the National Library. The column proceeds slowly along the sidewalk.

12:30 The column came to the end of Lahoiski Tract and is less than 3 kilometers away from Kurapaty.

2:20 p.m. Participants of the rally came to Kurapaty. The rally begins. Floor is taken by members of the CCP BPF .

2:50 The speeches end. People go to the forests to set protective crosses in the place of the mass graves.

3:00 Observers reported the presence of police in uniform, but without name badges, in Kurapaty. Police vans are parked near the “Susedzi” shop. However, nobody is detained.

3:20 Police detained Yury Rubtsou, who was wearing the T-shirt “Lukashenka, resign”.