MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 25th October, 2020) Several dozen people were detained in the Belarusian city of Lida during an unauthorized protest rally on Sunday, a spokesperson for the department of internal affairs of the Grodno region told Sputnik, adding that law enforcement officers were forced to use tear gas to disperse the crowd.
"Several dozen people were detained in Lida as part of the administrative process," the spokesperson said.
The official also confirmed local media reports that tear gas was used to disperse the protests, adding that nobody was injured.
This Sunday marks the termination of a 13-days ultimatum, which was put forward on October 13 by ex-presidential candidate Svetlana Tikhanovskaya to President Alexander Lukashenko. Tikhanovskaya warned that the opposition would start a nationwide strike on October 26, if Lukashenko did not resign.
Mass opposition protests have been ongoing in Belarus since the August 9 presidential election in which the incumbent leader, Alexander Lukashenko, secured his sixth consecutive term. The opposition has refused to recognize the official results and continues regular rallies.
