Two hundred thousand went out to demonstrate in Minsk against the rule of Alexander Lukashenko • Regime forces responded by firing rubber bullets, raids on homes and random beating of citizens identified with the protest
Masked men arrest civilians in Minsk // Photo: AFP
Horrible documentation from Belarus:
Minsk police opened fire with rubber bullets on protesters and began a wave of raids on the homes of civilians identified with the demonstrations and those hiding demonstrators in their homes.
The violent reaction came after two hundred thousand Belarusian citizens marched in the capital Minsk demanding the resignation of the country's ruler, Alexander Lukashenko.
The marchers managed to hold one of the largest demonstrations in the history of the country despite police harassment, blocking of streets, a wave of arrests that preceded the raid and the overthrow of the internet network in the country, in order to make it difficult for the organizers.
Towards evening, the protesters were dispersed by rubber bullets and beatings.
Hundreds of protesters tried and hid in nearby apartments where they found refuge with sympathetic citizens.
The police raided the apartment buildings, dragged protesters out and beat them vigorously A video recorded by frightened residents reveals the horrific moments in which the police break into a residential apartment.
The video begins with a mash-up of indistinguishable sounds, probably curses.
Then the woman's voice shouts, "What do you want?"
A male voice commands: "Hands!"
(Probably lowering hands).
A woman on the floor at the entrance to the room: "Please, do not do this. Go" riot policeman: "I will not touch you, stay away."
The policeman jumps over her and goes to the sofa.
"Get up!", He orders someone and punches them.
Screams pierce the room.
A woman in a coat: "Please, no need. We're going home."
The policeman barks: "Get your hands off me! Do you want gas (pepper)?"
The video ends with "Please, no need".
The owner of the apartment said that she returned in a conversation with the "Nasha Niva" website: "When we heard the explosion of stun grenades, we brought the fleeing protesters into our apartments. We just opened (the door), people started running in. Maybe 25 only to our apartment. At the last minute, just before we could close , Into the remaining slot these were put and men in masks invaded into the apartment. I was standing by the door, and what was happening to me. How terrifying it was! They flew in and shouted: 'Do not touch the women, all the men - out!'
They beat the first man they took out of the apartment, then the one you see in the movie, it all took maybe two minutes, but time stretched. They did not find three men and one boy. One man hid behind a washing machine, another in the closet, another behind the couch, and more. "One of the women hid her body in the kitchen so they could not see it. Then the men in masks left, we locked up, we got to know the demonstrators. People are really interesting. One is a bouquet designer, another works in printing. After a while everyone left."
Despite the severe repression of the protest movement, Belarus is preparing for a wave of strikes tomorrow after the ultimatum issued by the leader of the protest, Svetlana Tikhnovskaya, is about to expire.
"The regime has once again shown that the use of force against the Belarusian people is all it knows how to do. So tomorrow, the national strike will begin," said Tikhnovskaya, who is in exile.
