Chernobyl Way 2013 (live, photo, video)
About 1000 people took part in the traditional rally to mark the anniversary of 1986 nuclear accident. Several demonstrators and journalists were detained.
Today is the 27th anniversary of the tragedy. Minsk City Executive Committee has allowed the manifestation and meeting. The action will begin at 6.30 p.m. near the cinema October and will end in Bangalore Square.
People in plain clothes detain Chernobyl Way participant (photo)
21:40 NN journalists Aksana Rudovich and Iryna Arahouskaya have been let off, policemen watched their video.
21:20 About 30 people headed by Rymasheuski, Kastusyou and Yanukevich have lit candles near the Chernobyl Chapel and sung “Strong God”. According to various sources, from 400 to 1000 people have taken part in the action.
21:15 Iryna Suhiy, Vasil Sinyuhin, Kanstantsin Kirylenka and Volha Kaskevich has been let off from Pershamaiski District Department of the Interior. The journalists of Nasha Niva are in Soviet District Department of the Interior.
21:05 Rymasheuski is gathering people to walk to the Chapel. Nasha Niva journalists Aksana Rudovich and Iryna Arahouskaya who photographed the beating of anarchist Ihar Truhanoviuch have been detained.
20.54 The meeting is over. It is getting dark. The organizers have advised that people should lay flowers on Chernobyl Chapel if they like. Some Twitter users are reporting detentions. The number of people who attended the meeting in Bangalore Square was smaller than on Freedom Day, March 25.
20:40 The meeting has started. Vital Rymasheuski is reading out a petition against the NPP. A few anarchists have been detained in Bahdanovich Street. They are in a blue minibus now, Freedom reports on Twitter.
Nasha Niva journalists Iryna Arahouskaya and Aksana Rudovich have been detained. They were making a video survey at the bus stop Bangalore Square. The girls were detained in a trolleybus. They were returning to the editorial office from Bangalore Square. People in plain clothes made them get off at the bus stop near Horizont.
20:28 An agreement has been reached. The police have allowed bringing the loudspeaker to the meeting.
20:23 The police have not allowed bringing a loudspeaker to the territory of the meeting. This is the only loudspeaker equipment allowed by the authorities. Kastusyou and Rymasheuski are trying to discuss it with the police.
20:17 People are approaching the ground. The manifestation participants are examined before they can enter the ground in Bangalore Square. Their bags and pockets are being searched by the riot police. There are very few people in the big ground.
20:11 Yanukevich: It is not the number of people that matters here, it is the fact that people have come to demonstrate their attitude.
20:10 Head of Astravets UCP affiliate Mikola Ulasevich who tried to reach Minsk has been detained in Maladzechna, Anatol Lyabedzka told Euroradio.
20:02 The manifestation participants have reached Bangalore Square where a meeting will be held. Anatol Lyabedzka who was detained in Atsravets earlier today has joined the action.
20:00 Human rights defender Vyachaslau Dashkevich has been detained near Soviet District Department of the Interior.
19:53 The column is approaching McDonalds, Bangalore Square is near. About 50 policemen are waiting there. About 10 people in plain clothes are waiting for the column at the crossroads near Bangalore Square. The territory is encircled with metallic barriers and yellow ribbons. There are 3 metal finders, the riot police and squad cars.
19:47 Activists Volha Kaskevich, Vasil Sinyuhin and Kanstantsin Kirylenka has been detained together with Iryna Suhiy, BelaPAN reports. Tasttsyana Novikava who had to read out a resolution at the meeting cannot leave her flat – a stranger in plain clothes is waiting near her house. All the civil activists who left the flat earlier have already been detained.
19:40 The column is approaching the supermarket Riga. The manifestation is calm and slow this year. Certain groups of people are shouting out mottos, most of them are anarchists. Young people are singing songs by Lyapis Trubetskoy.
19:30 The column has crossed Yakub Kolas Street. The tramway line is under repair there. The pass is narrow. Driving inspectors accompanied the people.
A metallic barrier with metal finders is installed on the three sides of Bangalore Square and there is a yellow ribbon on the farthest side. There are not many policemen, most of them are standing near the barriers. Ordinary people and many children are sitting on the benches in the park.
19:22 The meeting participants are approaching Yakub Kolas Street.
19:13 The column has passed the Printing House. People are shouting “No to the Belarusian NPP”
19:05 The column is approaching Surhanau Street. A person is walking on stilts. People are shouting “Live Belarus” and “We believe, we can, we will win”.
19:00 The manifestation has begun. A bell is ringing.
18:57 The column is being formed. A group of anarchists have joined.
18:50 The number of participants is about 1000. The manifestation has not begun yet. People are shouting “Live Belarus!”.
18:40 There are about 500 people near the cinema October now. A few dozen flags have been hoisted. Such political leaders as Alyaksei Yanukevich, Vital Rymasheuski, Ryhor Kastusyou and Mihas Pashkevich are there. Poet Henadz Buraukin and sculptor Ales Shaternik have also come. Banners “No to Astravets NPP” and “Chernobyl Way” can been seen.
18:35 About 500 people have gathered. A few flags have been hoisted. The manifestation is about to start.
18:30 There are about 300 people near the cinema. The leaders of BPF and BCD are also there.
18:25 Head of the anti-nuclear campaign Tatstsyana Novikava and co-leader of Ecodom Iryna Suhiy have been detained not far from October, Zmitser Lukashuk reports. The women have been taken to Pershamaiski District Department of the Interior.
Leader of the Belarusian Greens Aleh Novik is not allowed to leave his flat.
***
Chernobyl Way-2013 will be dated for the 27th anniversary of the tragedy at Chernobyl NPP. Minsk City Executive Committee has allowed the action and meeting. The organizers will use the Freedom Day itinerary “not to confuse people”. The manifestation will begin near the cinema October at 6.30 p.m. and finish in Bangalore Square.
***
"Chernobyl Way-1012” (online, photo, video)
From 1 to 2 thousand people took part in the action last year. About 40 people were detained.
Photo report of Chernobyl Way-2012 in Minsk
Metal detectors, radiation safety symbols on people’s faces, flags of all colours and the death scarecrow.
Chernobyl Way-2013 will be dated for the 27th anniversary of the tragedy at Chernobyl NPP. Minsk City Executive Committee has allowed the action and meeting. The organizers will use the Freedom Day itinerary “not to confuse people”. The manifestation will begin near the cinema October at 6.30 p.m. and finish in Bangalore Square.
The Green tried to depoliticize the event and make it ecological two weeks before the manifestation. They said that it could attract more people. However, this year’s Chernobyl Way will use its usual format.
Money for children suffering from cancer will be raised during Chernobyl Way. The money will be sent to a hospital.
Interestingly, the steering committee of Chernobyl Way will not be dissolved after the meeting. It will help struggle with the construction of Astravets NPP, activists think.
