Belarus police arrest more than 400 anti-government protesters following violent clashes at rally
In his 23 years as president, Alexander Lukashenko has stifled dissent and free media and retained much of the Soviet-style command economy
Police in Belarus cracked down hard Saturday on opposition protesters who tried to hold a forbidden demonstration in the capital – a human rights group said more than 400 people were arrested and many were beaten.
The demonstrators had hoped to build on a rising wave of defiance of the former Soviet republic’s authoritarian government, led by President Alexander Lukashenko, who has ruled since 1994.
They’re beating the participants, dragging women by the hair to buses
About 700 people had tried to march Saturday along Minsk’s main avenue, but were blocked by a cordon of riot police wielding clubs and holding shields. After a stand-off, the arrests began.
“They’re beating the participants, dragging women by the hair to buses. I was able to run to a nearby courtyard,” demonstrator Alexander Ponomarev said.
Tatiana Revyako of the human rights group Vesna said that more than 400 people were arrested, saying “many of the arrested were beaten and are in need of medical help”. Police declined to comment on the arrests or the beatings. Among those arrested were about 20 journalists, according to the Belarusian Journalists’ Association.
“They grabbed everybody indiscriminately, both young and old. We were treated very harshly,” BBC Belarus correspondent Sergei Kozlovsky said.
