MINSK (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 12th August, 2020) Belarus' Internal Troops and police have cordoned off the area near Minsk Hero City Obelisk, which saw large-scale clashes between protesters and law enforcement officers on August 9, a Sputnik correspondent reported from the scene on Wednesday.
Vehicles of internal troops and police vans are on a standby. Neighboring squares and streets are being patrolled by riot police as protesters start gathering for another evening of unrest.
Unsanctioned mass protests have been ongoing in Belarus since Sunday evening, when the first election results showed incumbent Alexander Lukashenko secure his sixth term with over 80 percent of the vote, and the opposition challenged the outcome.
During the first days of unrest, protesters erected barricades and hurled Molotov cocktails at law enforcement officers. The police responded with tear gas, water cannons and stun grenades. Some 6,000 people have been detained. According to the interior ministry, one man died while attempting to throw an unidentified explosive device at law enforcement officers.
