Saturday, March 25, 2006

Belarus: The Protest Continues



15.20 GMT: There is a more or less live commentary in Russian and Belarussian at this link (via Neeka's Backlog). The demonstrators are being harshly countered by OMON troops with helmets, shields and batons, and there are reports of casualties among the demonstrators. It is possible that one person has been killed. There are still from 3,000 to 4,000 demonstrators on the streets. The OMON troops are scattering the groups of protesters.

There are many press photos of today's demonstration here.

More photos - some of which are shocking - here.

CNN has an updated report on the clashes.

RFE/RL's latest report is here. There are also WMA files of the sounds of the demonstration.

According to Charter '97, Alexander Kozulin has been detained by Interior Ministry police (the link is currently inactive). Reuters has more here.

United Civic Front activist Ludzmila Graznova has called for Putin to be charged and excluded from the G8, if it can be shown that he stands behind Lukashenko.

According to Korrespondent.net, Alexander Milinkevich has said in a phone call to the Ukrainan news agency UNIAN that more than 1,000 people were arrested and detained during and after today's anti-government march and demonstration in Minsk. He criticized his colleague Alexander Kozulin for leading a breakaway demonstration to the distribution centre where activists are detained, calling it a provocation that would spoil the image of the opposition. Milinkevich also said that the number of casualties is unknown. He announced that in spite of today's tragic events, the Belarusian opposition does not intend to yield, and plans to hold another mass demonstration on April 26.

Milinkevich has declared the creation of a Popular Movement for the Liberation of Belarus.

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