MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 14th August, 2020) Several dozen have gathered for a peaceful demonstration outside the Belarusian embassy in Moscow to show solidarity with the popular demonstrations underway in the neighboring country following Sunday's disputed election, a Sputnik correspondent reported Friday.
Protest signs read slogans calling for longtime Belarusian strongman Alexander Lukashenko to step down. Other signs stood against violence and conflict in Belarus. Several police cars present have not engaged the protesters in any way.
The Belarusian nationals present who agreed to speak with Sputnik all confirmed that they had voted for opposition candidate Svetlana Tikhanovskaya at the recent election whose results sparked violent protests in Belarus.
Many drivers honked in a show of support while driving past, in a similar way to what is practiced in Belarus.
Mass protests have been ongoing in Belarus since the late hours of Sunday, when the first election results showed Lukashenko secure his sixth term with over 80 percent of the vote, and the opposition challenged the outcome.
The demonstrations have been harshly suppressed by the security forces, with law enforcement officers using tear gas, water cannons and rubber bullets on protesters. Hundreds of people, including security officers, were injured in clashes that erupted. Thousands were arrested and many journalists, both domestic and foreign, went missing.
