MINSK (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 16th August, 2020) Hundreds of Belarusian protesters angered by the post-vote crackdown gathered outside the public broadcaster BT's headquarters in Minsk on Saturday to protest state media coverage of anti-government rallies.
Demonstrators chanted "Stop lying," "Tell the truth" and "We are peaceful," and demanded that the National State tv and Radio Company show what was going on at Minsk's detention center, where some of the detained protesters are being held.
The rally was timed to a meeting of BT's senior staff with the presidential spokeswoman, Natalia Eismont, and the speaker of the parliament's upper house, Natalia Kochanova.
A television producer, who spoke to reporters waiting outside the BT's office, said that the two officials discussed with media workers how protests that erupted across the country after Sunday's election should be covered.
A dozen BT members were seen walking out of the meeting in protest. Several journalists said they would quit working for the broadcaster. Natalia Bibikova, a prominent anchor at two of the BT's news channels, said employees were planning to go on strike on Monday.
A Sputnik correspondent said special police forces were positioned in the building's hall in case protesters would try to break in, but there were no clashes. A white-red-white banner of the opposition was hung at the entrance.
Former presidential candidate Andrei Dmitriyev and Maria Kolesnikova, a close ally of President Alexander Lukashenko's main challenger Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, were spotted in the crowd.
"People working on TV, speak the truth. It is not hard. We will stand by you," Kolesnikova said.
The crowd agreed to gather outside the broadcaster's office again on Sunday. They piled placards, flowers and lighted candles at the entrance before leaving. The people said they were ready to protest every day until their demands were met.
