Tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets of Belarus on Sunday in what appeared to be their largest demonstration yet against the widely-disputed …
Tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets of Belarus on Sunday in what appeared to be their largest demonstration yet against the widely-disputed reelection of President Alexander Lukashenko. Lukashenko, who has been labeled «Europe’s last dictator,» first took office in 1994 and staked his claim to a sixth term after declaring a landslide victory in the country’s election last Sunday. Opponents immediately condemned the results as rigged, and a wide cross-section of citizens have been calling for change at protests every day since. An especially massive crowd gathered in the capital of Minsk to participate in a «Freedom March» on Sunday. Many were dressed in red and white, the colors of the opposition. Images and videos posted on social media captured the scale of the demonstrations in Minsk: Independence Square packed to the brim, with cheerful crowds waving the opposition flag. There was no official count of the crowd size, though the sweeping demonstration appears to be the largest in the country’s history. The Associated Press reported that as many as 200,000 people turned out in Minsk. The protests dwarfed a pro-government rally held there earlier in the day, at which Lukashenko gave a speech blasting opponents, defending the election results and rejecting calls for a re-vote. While the government says 65,000 people attended that rally, the BBC estimated attendance was actually closer to four or five thousand. Speaking to his followers, Lukashenko likened his opponents to rats, said it was not his fault he needed to call on supporters for their help and warned that Belarus would perish «as a state» if it held new elections, contending the results could not have been falsified. «They say elections results were forged. But how can 80% be forged? They want us to hold new elections. But how will we work in the fields if we must have new elections?» Lukashenko said. The nation’s Central Election Commission said Lukashenko won 80% of the vote, with main opposition candidate Svetlana Tikhanovskaya coming in second with 10%. Tikhanovskaya, who fled the country to neighboring Lithuania after the election, said in a video statement released on Friday that documentation at polling places showed she had the support of a majority of voters.
