Several hundred Belarusian retirees on Monday took to the streets for yet another unauthorized protest in downtown Minsk, a Sputnik correspondent reported
MINSK (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 23rd November, 2020) Several hundred Belarusian retirees on Monday took to the streets for yet another unauthorized protest in downtown Minsk, a Sputnik correspondent reported.
The opposition march among people of retirement age has been held in the Belarusian capital on Monday on weekly basis. The rally traditionally started at Independence Square in the city center, with protesters taking the route along Independence Avenue. More people are joining in as they march.
Rally participants are carrying white-red-white flags, umbrellas and posters calling for a new government in Belarus.
The Belarusian security forces have blocked the traditional route of protesters, lining up at the intersection of Janki Kupaly Street and Independence Square. Several police vans and buses with security forces are also parked on the side of the road, according to the correspondent.
The protesters eventually turned from Independence Avenue to the Janki Kupaly Street near the National Academic Bolshoi Opera and Ballet Theater. The retirees then gathered in the park near the theater, where they were broken down into groups and blocked by the police. Clashes with the law enforcement officers broke out when the protesters tried to rejoin their counterparts. A woman was reportedly detained.
Protests of various population segments � women, retirees, students, healthcare workers and people with disabilities, among others � have been ongoing in Belarus since the August 9 presidential election, which, according to the official results, incumbent President Alexander Lukashenko won in a landslide, securing himself a sixth consecutive term in office. The opposition refused to recognize the results, claiming electoral fraud. Security officers used force in dispersing the protests. Lukashenko's supporters have also organized rallies in his support.
