An American radio journalist was detained during a live broadcast on a square in Minsk
Belarusian law enforcement officers detained a journalist from the American Radio Liberty in the center of Minsk.
She broadcast live during a rally in support of the arrested candidate, a PolitNavigator correspondent reports.
Five minutes later, its operator, who had not turned off the camera until the last minute, was also detained.
The incident occurred after the end of a protest that opponents of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko tried to hold.
Today, like yesterday, they lined up, observing social distancing, ostensibly to sign for presidential candidates alternative to Lukashenko.
In fact, young people were protesting in this way against the arrest of one of the candidates, Viktor Babariko.
Almost immediately it became clear that the authorities were jamming communications in the center of Minsk. This made it difficult for opposition media that tried to broadcast live. In addition, metro stations stopped working.
Half an hour after the start of the action, law enforcement officers walked along the sidewalk in close formation, forcing people standing in line to move towards the square.
On the square it became clear that in fact there were not as many protesters as the media tried to imagine, showing long lines. The number of activists was comparable to the usual number of people at the rallies of nationalist Zmagars, held under nationalist and anti-Russian slogans.
And the symbolism was the same – white and red.
Organizers of election pickets (these are events permitted under Belarusian legislation to collect signatures for candidates) spoke to the activists gathered on the square. They reported that the picket time had been shortened, and everyone should disperse at 19.00, and not at 22.00, as previously thought.
Most of the activists did so, and those who remained were detained by law enforcement officers. They made no difference between ordinary citizens and journalists.
Protests similar to the one in Minsk took place today in other Belarusian cities.
Let us remind you that this morning Alexander Lukashenko said that a Maidan was being prepared in Belarus, which he would not allow.
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