Belarus: Alexander Lukashenko wants to break the protest with violence

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Security forces remove a woman in Minsk (August 10)

Two of the security forces beat a person lying on the ground: one with a baton, the other tramples. "Shame" shouted residents of the adjoining house from the balconies. And: "You have a mother, cosmonaut." This is what people call the Omon special forces with their helmets and protective uniforms. Flash grenades are fired. All of this can be seen on a video from the Belarusian capital Minsk, posted by the independent website tut.by.

The pictures published by Telegram channels and independent media from the third night of the protests show even more violence than in the two days before. The authoritarian ruler Alexander Lukashenko seems willing to break the demonstrations in the country by all means. Security forces use batons, rubber bullets, stun grenades and tear gas against people.

5000 people arrested

According to his Interior Ministry, the long-term ruler had 5000 people arrested across the country on the first two days of protest alone. Many of their relatives and friends do not know where they are or which of the prisons they are being held in. Over 200 people are still in hospitals.

The fact that people are still demonstrating in such a situation shows how great the anger is about the rigged presidential election. Lukashenko received over 80 percent of the votes. Anyone who doubts this on the street must expect to be bludgeoned immediately. Numerous demonstrators were taken away and injured again that night.

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In the stranglehold of the dictatorship: security forces lead a demonstrator in Belarus

According to media reports, fewer people gather in Minsk and other parts of the country, such as Brest and Grodno, both cities in the west on the Polish border, Lida, near Lithuania, and Gomel in the southeast near the Russian border Border. Exactly how many there are is unclear, also because the Internet is largely blocked, and the Telegram messenger service alone works reliably.

Against honking motorists and journalists

Various pictures and videos show how unrestrained the emergency services are: In Nyasvish, a small town with 14,000 inhabitants southwest of Minsk, they beat demonstrators, including women, again and again. In Minsk, according to video images, even ordinary traffic policemen attack and abuse motorcyclists. That night, the drivers who hold long horn concerts in protest are also followed, and the emergency services hit their cars with clubs. This time, security officers chased protesters into courtyards and even residential buildings in the capital.

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Protesters in Minsk (August 10)

It is noticeable that they also take targeted action against journalists. Correspondents including the BBC, Associated Press, Tut.by, "Nascha Niwa" and Belsat have already been attacked. Although they had vests marked "Media" on their bodies and accreditations with them, memory cards with photo and video material were taken away from them. About 30 journalists across the country have been arrested since Sunday. For some it is still not clear where they are.

On the whole, the emergency services seem to be better prepared for the demonstrations that night than in the days before. What has made this Belarusian protest so far?

• He doesn't know any leaders: opposition candidate Svetlana Tichanovskaya, who had to leave the country after pressure from the security authorities, never wanted to lead the street protests, but instead wanted to enable fair elections in the country. She sees herself as the real winner of the election. Her fellow campaigner Maria Kalesnikawa, who wants to stay in Minsk, is trying to continue this struggle and is collecting information about the extensive and massive election manipulation with volunteers.

• It is decentralized: In Minsk, people gathered in different places, that night in at least three outskirts of the city. The protesters move in groups, withdraw, come back, sometimes erecting barricades.

• He coordinates himself via Telegram: the protesters use the messenger app to exchange information, such as the access codes, to get to the adjacent apartment buildings in order to be able to get to safety. They post videos and warn each other about provocateurs and incoming emergency services. The "Nexta Live" channel now has over 1.3 million subscribers.

• It is broadly anchored: Even if mostly young people, especially men, can be seen at the demonstrations in Minsk, the protest is broader: residents film the brutal procedure, share the videos, and abuse the emergency services from their homes. Passers-by on the streets are also getting involved, appealing to the officials to finally leave the protesters alone. Motorists join forces in parades, blocking streets of the capital with constant honking.

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A man is talking to an official in the Belarusian capital

How will it go on now? The violence is likely to increase, including on the part of the demonstrators. Their anger is great at the brutal behavior of the security authorities. Protesters have already attacked security forces in Minsk and Brest and beat officials in the capital in order to free people who were about to be removed.

At the same time, Lukashenko's security apparatus will do everything possible to put down the protests enough to stop them - not for days, but for a long time.