Belarusian Police To Use Firearms If Protesters Threaten Knife Use - Interior Ministry

Belarusian Police to Use Firearms If Protesters Threaten Knife Use - Interior Ministry

The Belarusian law enforcement agents will have to use firearms against protesters if they threaten the police with knives, the head of the organized crime department at the Interior Ministry said Friday

MINSK (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 16th October, 2020) The Belarusian law enforcement agents will have to use firearms against protesters if they threaten the police with knives, the head of the organized crime department at the Interior Ministry said Friday.

Belarusian authorities said earlier this week that the law enforcement may have to use special equipment and live rounds, as protests had become radicalized.

"Of course, if they resist, we will have to use weapons to protect people, to protect the rule of law, to ensure that out children are not exposed to this chaos. We won't let destroy the country. We will of course use the weapons, including firearms, in a humane way," Nikolai Karpenkov said, as aired on Belarus 1 broadcaster.

"Anyone who raises their hand with a shiv against a law enforcement agent, we will use firearms against them," Karpenkov said.