Tens of thousands of people protesting in Belarus. That is what is behind the uprising against President Lukashenko

For over a week, tens of thousands of people in Belarus over disputed election on August 9 after Alexander Lukashenko, the leader of Europe’s longest-serving protested claimed a sixth term as president. Thousands of people, including workers, police officers and television presenters went on strike, the protests and the call for the president, the former Soviet country has chosen from 9.5 million in 1994 to resign to join. “Belarus has seen since the collapse of the Soviet Union protest as well,” said Matthew Frear, a Belarus expert at the University of Leiden in the Netherlands. Clashes with police left at least two dead, hundreds injured and arrested at least 6700th The authorities have launched a round of heavy lives in the capital Minsk for life where grenades police and shifts used rubber bullets and a van driven between the crowd. According to Amnesty International, the arrested protesters were subjected to “widespread torture.” The battle for his political future, as never before, Lukashenko has sought to support the lost, not to show the nation, but it has not been very successful. If Lukashenko Minsk wheel tractor plant has toured to the public on Monday and said, “You do workers get the president supports,” the workers chanted “Go away!” Later that day, during a visit to another factory Lukashenko has offered to change the constitution. “We transfer the changes to a referendum, and I take my constitutional powers. But not under pressure or because of the road,” he said. The opposition says that in this way the empty promises made before. What happened to the Belarus elections? On August 10, the official results gave Lukashenko 80.1% of the votes. Its main competitor, Svetlana Tikhonovskaya, a political newcomer and former teacher, won only 10.1%. He pointed to the result and insisted that he had won support from 60% to 70% had correctly counted the votes. “It ‘s hard to say what would be the result because the whole process was rigged – some of the votes for Lukashenko votes were falsified,” says Frear. “But in some polling stations where there is more done well, will receive 80% of the votes. The only way to know is new, hold free and fair elections,” he adds. Synchronized, last dictatorship ‘of George W. Bush in Europe in 2005, the Lukashenko regime banned opinion polls, the opposition imprisoned and elections that were driven’ severely compromised ‘called by the European Commission. “The last free and fair elections in 1994 were,” says Frear. Three months before the election, on 9 August, rival opposition government in prison and she prevented from running, including Tikhanovskaya husband, a popular YouTube user and the opposition, Sergei Tikhanovsky the end of May. to denounce hours after the election, Tikhanosvkaya fled to neighboring Lithuania, where their children who had previously been evacuated before the election. In a YouTube video he said he made the addition of “very difficult decision independently,” that “children are the most important thing in life”, and that the political unrest are not worth losing someone their life. Since then he has not peaceful protesters to “stay on the edge” and the rally said. “We always said that we have to defend our choice only legitimate, non-violent means,” he said in another video on August 14 protesting workers Why? The protests have emerged in Belarus since June, with anger at the opposition detention, economic stagnation and mismanagement of Crown crisis Lukashenko, who has called a “psychosis” that could be, despite recently edited by a vodka and a sauna, contract the disease itself. Since the election results came more than a dozen protests in cities and countries through the results of disputed elections. Unofficial estimates for a protest in the capital on Sunday ranged from 100.00 to 220.000 people. Thousands of people gathered last night in Minsk for the ninth consecutive night since Lukashenko victory explained. The workers have gone with a variety of demands on the road, including the police to stop violence and elections. shared videos and photos on social media in recent days have shown the workers in several state-owned enterprises of the foot work and their owners say they would not return to work until the protestors beating police custody and the authorities publish the thousands of protesters arrested after the election. Police officers and members of the special forces (OMON) have announced that they are relying on social media. In one video, a security officer burns his uniform in a show of defiance. Several journalists and TV presenters went on strike, demanding that the state media, the protests objectively concern, says Katia Glod, an independent consultant based in London on Belarus and the former European Fund adviser for Democracy, a think tank in Brussels. The state media is “full of propaganda,” said Glod. “He has portrayed the protests as riots.” At least six presenters have left the state issuing company, Belarus-1 (BT) of the channel, last week, including Andrei Makayonak, a host on the Morning Program Belarus of August 12 resigned in an interview with the newspaper, Komsomolskaya Pravda in Belarus , said: “Before I always remained neutral, because I was sure that if the situation is not very good, there is a positive person to be supported each with his smile.” he said that in the current climate of the country, his smile feels “a little ‘blasphemous” and not “wowed audiences.” As Lukashenko has responded to the protests? On August 14, the sixth consecutive day of protests, Lukashenko invited the revolutionaries supported protesters abroad who are trying to destabilize the country. “Do not throw it in the street. You have to understand that they are used, and our children are used as cannon fodder,” he said in a televised speech. Since the election, say the citizens of Belarus temporarily lose access to the Internet, social networks and messaging applications, triggering the suspicion among the protesters that the government use technology as a means of stifling dissent. Lukashenko has, however, denied that the government has engaged and supported from abroad Internet was disconnected. “In the past the authorities have blocked the websites of opposition candidates. But it’s never happened to a complete stop before the Internet,” says Frear. In the context of a deep recession and the crisis of the crown Lukashenko takes a lot of money from foreign governments to borrow, said Glod. “His threat loss of legitimacy its ability to get money from Western institutions, and that is what bothers him,” he adds. Belarus has long relied on Russian energy subsidies for a billion-dollar a year cost to its economy largely been controlled. But last year, the Kremlin press must accept an increase in Belarus, cut political and economic relations of rising energy prices and subsidies. But Lukashenko has refused to Moscow more proposals over the years for deeper integration, including a common currency. Under siege from the West, Lukashenko its Russian neighbor seems to turn for support. After a telephone conversation with Vladimir Putin, Lukashenko said on August 15 that Putin “comprehensive security tool” against the protests had to offer approved. Lukashenko did not specify details, but said that “when it comes to the military component, we have an agreement with [Russia]” refer to a contract signed in 1999. Countries back, presumably to create a “unified state.” The contract has never been fully implemented and in recent years, countries have deteriorated relations as Lukashenko against Moscow’s calls for economic relations and close political urged. Lukashenko Putin wants to strengthen its number of riot police, said Glod. “He is particularly concerned about the lack of police,” he says. But there is not any guarantee, Russia is such support, says Frear. “Lukashenko may have tried to frighten the opposition and Russia’s support for a corner,” he says. A statement from the Kremlin on August 15 makes no mention of providing security assistance, but confident that all problems will be solved soon. How did other world leaders respond? The elections and police brutality have attracted widespread condemnation abroad. President Trump said on August 18: “It does not seem like it’s too much democracy in Belarus” and that Russia would like to speak “at the appropriate time” in the wake of the unrest. Mike Pompeo Secretary said on August 10 the vote was “not free and fair” and condemned “the continuing violence against the demonstrators and the detention of opposition supporters”, while the United Kingdom on August 17 announced that it is not “accepted the” fraudulent “presidential elections in Belarus. After the speech Aug.14 crisis, the European Union announced that the sanctions targeted Belarusian officials would be responsible for imposing the brutal repression and electoral fraud.” What has happened in recent days in Belarus completely unacceptable and calls for a clear reaction to EU He is “in Germany Haiko Maas said during a press conference the same day. The European Union. first place in 2004, and tightened sanctions against Belarus in 2011 over human rights violations and electoral fraud. Many sanctions, including those were the weapons companies and a travel ban in 2016 after the EU raised cited for improving the state of the current law. the latest sanctions are unlikely to disturb Lukashenko, analysts said. “They are limited and targeted. They are the country down, do not bring, “says Frear.” The EU. It is in a difficult situation. And ‘stand by its values, you can not only fraud and post-election violence “ignores said Glod.” But they do not want Lukashenko pushed towards Russia. “What might next happen? It seems that neither Lukashenka nor intends protesters over, analysts say. “he is a person who has never. see compromise as a weakness, “said Glod., at the same time, experts doubt that can count on a Russian intervention to quell the protests. The priorities of the Kremlin is to keep Belarus on his side, says Frear, but” if openly intervened on behalf of Lukashenko and caught me in a crackdown, it could lose the support of Belarusians. “Putin would also be very expensive.” Belarus should have considerable financial resources remain the collapse of the economy, but it is also clear that this could play at home. “said Glod. the popularity of Putin has been hit hard history in the last months of the economic consequences of COVID-19 crisis, with ratings falling in July to 60%. the future will be or “even bloody repression or the long war of attrition in which neither side of the authorities or protestors are lower,” says Frear to draw parallels to the ongoing protests in Hong Kong. the manife Dieting hope to have a choice. And if a crackdown on protests condemned and put next next anger “there are more chances Lukashenko give in” on such calls, says Frear.
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