THOUSANDS PROTEST IN BELARUS AMID CONTINUED CRACKDOWN

Sun 22 November 2020:

Tens of thousands of people protested against Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko for the 15th consecutive Sunday in Minsk, demanding he step down.

Protesters gathered in residential areas and then came together in the capital city to avoid getting shut down early by police. Several metro stations were closed and communications were cut at times.

Sunday’s protests were called a “March Against Fascism” after Lukashenko accused protesters of being fascists.

An advisor to main opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, Franak Viacorka, tweeted that more than 30 rallies were taking place throughout Minsk.

Police detained dozens of protesters and used stun grenades to disperse the crowd. The Vesna-96 rights group said at least 205 people had been detained by police. Police have arrested about 1,000 people during each of the last two Sundays’ protests.

Protests have taken place since August, after Lukashenko claimed victory in the presidential election for his sixth straight term. Protesters have claimed the election was rigged, while several nations, as well as the European Union, have refused to recognize the result.