Entrepreneurs' protest ends with nothing but detentions
Over 1000 small-size entrepreneurs from Minsk and other regions from across Belarus gathered at noon on December 10 on October Square in downtown Minsk to demand the abolition of the paragraph 1.1 in the president's decree No 760 which bans entrepreneurs from hiring other people than close relatives. A delegation of entrepreneurs led by Anatol Shumchanka headed to the Office of the President where they had a meeting with Ina Myadzvedzeva, the chief of the economy department.
Having failed to wait for the outcome of the talks, protesters walked along Independence Square towards the building of the parliament. Prime Minister Sergeu Sidorski did not come out to meet the protesters despite their calls. No other official agreed to have a dialogue with the protesters either. Ales Taustyka, one of the event organizers, says:
“The negotiations ended in nothing. Nobody from the House of the Representatives came out to meet with us. The negotiators who went to the presidential administration did not prose anything concrete. Nothing but some kind of negotiations”.
Ordinary consumers also came to support the protesting entrepreneurs, including student Yahor Shumski:
“I am not an entrepreneurs, I am a student. But I express solidairity with the demands of entrepreneurs. If they disappear as a class, this will lead to the growth of prices in shops. It will affect me, my parents and all the citizens of Belarus”.
With no dialogue offered bz the authorities, protesters began clearing the square bz 7 p.m. However, some of them were prevented by the police to do so. Over the past two days, the police detained Vzachaslau Siuchyk, Aliaksandr Tsatsura from Salihorsk, Aleh Shabetnik from Rechytsa, Ales Makayeu with a teenage son, Anatol Lyabedzka, Anatol Shumchanka and several youth activists. Viktar Harbachou and Viktar Kaley are in police custody.
Many entrepreneurs failed to make it to Minsk today, say retired police major Syarhey Parsyukevich:
“Ladies and Gentlemen, we have our people approching Minsk. They are being detained, arrested or deprived of their driving licenses. But they continue coming over here. If necessary, they will walk here and we will see them here”.
However, nobody made it to join the protesters on feet. Therefore, entrepreneurs decided to gather again on October Square in Minsk on December 25 at noon.
Having failed to wait for the outcome of the talks, protesters walked along Independence Square towards the building of the parliament. Prime Minister Sergeu Sidorski did not come out to meet the protesters despite their calls. No other official agreed to have a dialogue with the protesters either. Ales Taustyka, one of the event organizers, says:
“The negotiations ended in nothing. Nobody from the House of the Representatives came out to meet with us. The negotiators who went to the presidential administration did not prose anything concrete. Nothing but some kind of negotiations”.
Ordinary consumers also came to support the protesting entrepreneurs, including student Yahor Shumski:
“I am not an entrepreneurs, I am a student. But I express solidairity with the demands of entrepreneurs. If they disappear as a class, this will lead to the growth of prices in shops. It will affect me, my parents and all the citizens of Belarus”.
With no dialogue offered bz the authorities, protesters began clearing the square bz 7 p.m. However, some of them were prevented by the police to do so. Over the past two days, the police detained Vzachaslau Siuchyk, Aliaksandr Tsatsura from Salihorsk, Aleh Shabetnik from Rechytsa, Ales Makayeu with a teenage son, Anatol Lyabedzka, Anatol Shumchanka and several youth activists. Viktar Harbachou and Viktar Kaley are in police custody.
Many entrepreneurs failed to make it to Minsk today, say retired police major Syarhey Parsyukevich:
“Ladies and Gentlemen, we have our people approching Minsk. They are being detained, arrested or deprived of their driving licenses. But they continue coming over here. If necessary, they will walk here and we will see them here”.
However, nobody made it to join the protesters on feet. Therefore, entrepreneurs decided to gather again on October Square in Minsk on December 25 at noon.
