Belarus: Tens of thousands protest in ‘people’s inauguration’

Belarusian police detained about 200 people as tens of thousands took to the streets in support of opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, days after the country’s strongman president staged a secret inauguration. Ahead of Sunday’s march, the top opposition Telegram channel, Nexta Live, which has more than two million subscribers, urged Belarusians to stage a symbolic “people’s inauguration of the real president” Tikhanovskaya. The opposition movement calling for an end to President Alexander Lukashenko’s rule has kept up a wave of large-scale demonstrations since his disputed election win last month, with about 100,000 or more people taking to the streets every weekend. AFP correspondents estimated a similar turnout on Sunday as crowds built up in Minsk despite the rain. Tens of thousands of protesters including prominent athletes, drummers and a choir marched through the capital, with some demonstrators sporting cardboard crowns. Protesters chanted “impostor” and “Sveta is our president” as they marched through Minsk and other cities decked out in red-and-white opposition colours. “We have elected our president,” said protester Eleonora Naumova, holding a portrait of Lukashenko’s opposition rival Tikhanovskaya. “We don’t want to live in a concentration camp,” the 48-year-old designer said. Another protester, 36-year-old Sergei Mikhailov, said he wanted Belarus to become free and safe. Wearing a makeshift crown from Burger King, he said: “If every impostor here can be crowned so why not me too?” Armoured vehicles and water cannon were deployed on the streets ahead of the protest, several metro stations in central Minsk were closed, and the Palace of Independence, Lukashenko’s residence, was heavily guarded by riot police and barriers. Interior Ministry spokeswoman Olga Chemodanova told the AFP news agency that “around 200” people were detained across Belarus. Police used tear gas in the second largest city of Gomel and stun grenades in the eastern city of Mogilev, Viasna rights group said. Chemodanova denied that police used stun grenades but confirmed that members of law enforcement used “riot control” equipment. style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; top: 0; bottom: 0; right: 0; left: 0;">