Brest authorities ban series of pickets against financial crisis and for resignation of President

According to Uladzimir Vuyek, deputy chairman of the United Civil Party and the party’s leader in Brest, activists and supporters of the party have submitted 18 applications for holding pickets.

The main purpose of these actions was to demand the resignation of the head of state, who is to blame, according to organizers of the rally, for the monetary and financial crisis in Belarus. During the planned activities, their initiators were going to inform the public about the anti-corruption platform of opposition forces and to advertise a new economic course developed by UCP experts.

“We intended to hold four pickets in the city’s park and at the Lakamatyu stadium: both these venues are defined by the Brest City Executive Committee as locations for such events,” said Uladzimir Vuyek. “Ten more pickets were planned in other places, in particular, outside major trading centers of the city.”

However, local authorities did not allow the pickets on the grounds that the organizers allegedly were late in submitting their applications. As for the other pickets, they were banned because the places were not authorized by the executive officials.

“I believe that the officials were simply looking for formal reasons to take a negative decision on the picket, as the authorities are afraid of protests and do their best to deprive the citizens of the opportunity to speak publicly about the issues that concern the people of the region,” said UCP representative.