Silent protest action in Belarus (online)

21:00 Surnames of some detainees have become known:

Vera Paklonskaya, Minsk.

 Ivan Kalita, Aliaksandr Ivanovich, Paval Hryshyn, Aliaksej Konash - Minsk.

20:55 Ales Piletski and Ruslan Ryndzevich have been released from the Central district police department.

20:45 SMALIAVICHY. More than 10 people detained, including underage activists.

20:38 BABRUISK. More people have taken part in the “silent action” in comparison with last time – about 500-600. No one has been detained. Babruisk city authorities have invented a creative step to struggle with the “revolutionists” – to mix them with the crowd. They’ve organized a requiem-demonstration, dedicated to the 70^th anniversary since the Second World war started and made members of “Belaya Rus” and the BRYU, as well as teachers and school students, participate in it. There have been about 200-250 policemen in the square.

20:26 Euroradio’s friend called from the Central district police department and informed that a full bus with detainees had just arrived.

20:22 Tsimafej Dranchuk has informed that people are being arrested at the first floor of “Niamiha” shopping  center.

20:20 SALIHORSK. Euroradio’s friends have informed that at least 14 people are detained.

20:19 HRODNA. Journalist Aliaksandr Saenka and photographer Yauhen Buzuk are detained. 11 people are detained altogether in Hrodna.

20:17 Silent protest actions have taken place in Staryja Darohi, Niasvizh, Hlybokae for the first time. 7-15 people participated in them. Detentions have not been reported so far.

20:11 Hrodna.  Hrodna region governor Siamion Shapira arrived at 19.00. He watched the events, talked to some officials but did not interfere into the action. 300 people participated in the silent protest action in Hrodna. The action ended at 19.30 with mass applause.

20:05 Mass arrests continue in Niamiha in Minsk. New police vans arrive. Among the detained – journalist of the on-line newspaper “Solidarity” Siarhej Balaj.

20:03 A beaten person, detained in Minsk, is sitting in the police van.

19:59 BHC observers have defended a 80-year-old man from being detained in Minsk.

19:58 Homel 600-700 people have gathered in the central square, twice more than a week ago.

19:55 400-500 people came out to the streets in Brest.

19:53 BHC’s independent observer Ilya Petravets has been beaten and arrested in Minsk. “Nasha Niva’s” correspondent Ales Piletski has also been detained near “Goodwin” café in the Independence Avenue.

19:52 In Maladechna policemen put everyone who stands in the square into police vans.

19:51 70 people have come out to the streets in Zhodzina. The main square of the town is being poured with water by special machines. 19 people have come out for a silent protest action in Lahoisk.

19:48 About 200 people have come out to the main square in Baranavichy, while there were 40 people last time. Euroradio’s vis-à-vis has not noticed any detentions.

19:42. According to the information provided by "Nasha Niva", no less than 150 people have been detained only in Minsk.

19:40 More policemen arrived to Yanka Kupala Street. They are now forcing people from the street to the circus.

19:38 DDOS attack is happening against Euroradio’s European server. The web-site euroradio.fm is not working. Please use euroradio.by.

19:37 BARANAVICHY. The action is over. Eye-witnesses claim that 200-250 people took part in it.

19:33 People are being detained randomly near the French Embassy. There are almost no people near the “Europe” hotel and in the Liberty Square – all of them have been forced down, to Niamiha.

19:31 Detentions in Maladechna and Pinsk.

19:30 According to different calculations, no less than 2 thousand people came out to Minsk streets for a silent protest.

19:20 Photographer Anton Motolko has informed on air to Euroradio that no less than 25 people were detained within the last several minutes in Minsk.

19:17 According to the information provided by Twitter users, traffic movement from the Victory Square to the October Square is blocked.

19:14 Minimum 4 people have been reported to be arrested in Vitsebsk. Human rights defender Aleh Matskevich has been detained in Barysau, according to “Nasha Niva”.

19:09 People have been forced off the “Central” department store. Riot policemen dispersed people. The number of policemen around the October Square is getting bigger, as well as the number of detainees in the police buses.

19:06 BARANAVICHY. There are 6 policemen in the uniform in the central square of the city, and many policemen in plain clothes. There are also many youngsters walking around the square, and adult people as well.

19:05 Journalist of the news agency “Interfax-West” Ruslan Ryndzevich detained.

19:04 Police starts detaining people who clap their hands in the Independence Avenue.

19:01 Riot police started forcing people from the October Square to McDonald’s. Uladzimir Nyaklyaeu appeared near the “Central” department store.

18:58 Aliaksandrauski Square in Minsk is sealed by police. This is the closest park to the President's Administration building. No one is allowed in, police is everywhere.

18:55 Only public transport is allowed to head for the October Square in the cross-roads of Yanka Kupala Street and Independence Avenue, Euroradio's listeners inform.

18:53 Riot policemen caught two youngsters at the edge of the October Square and drove them somewhere in a car without numbers, with tinted glass, Euroradio's correspondent Vital Ruhain informs.

18:50 Minskers are gathering near McDonalds.

 18:47 Policemen insist that the passers-by should delete the photos taken near the October Square and Liberty Square.

18:45 Metro trains do not stop at "October" station.

18:40 A concert dedicated to June 22 events has started in the Liberty Square in Minsk. The stage is installed near the City Hall. There are places to sit on near the stage. The area is enclosed up to the Holy Spirit Cathedral. No one is allowed behind the parapets. Police even blocked the entrances to pedestrian subways near the "Central «department store. It is possible to cross the avenue only near the GUM store.

18:38 Radio Liberty's correspondent Aleh Hruzdzilovich has been just detained in the October Square in Minsk. Riot policemen dragged the journalist throughout the Square to the Palace of Republic, where police vans are parked. 

18:32 HRODNA. “Silent Action” will be muted by Beethoven. The Soviet Square in Hrodna is being rapidly prepared for the concert of local Capella, which was planned to start at 18.30. However, the head of the music collective Uladzimir Bormutau found out that they were supposed to play a concert only yesterday. The event was not planned by the local authorities. The Hrodna Capella decided to play the works of world-famous classics, including Beethoven, informs the web-site of the newspaper “Vecherniy Grodno”.

18:24 Only public transport is allowed to head for Independence Square from Moscow Street, informs the website of Radio Liberty.

18:20 The reason why the central strips of Independence Avenue are blocked has been found out. The road services say that they are repairing the festive illumination above them.

18:05 HOMEL. Lenin Square is blocked on both sides but the traffic has not been blocked. There are fences on both sides of the hotel “Europe”. There are fences on the monument to Kiril Turovski. About 30 cadets of the Emergency Control Ministry are standing near the entrance to the park. Special police troops are near them. There are many driving inspectors and cars are being evacuated: it looks like the square is being cleaned. There are many people in white.

18:00 Euroradio’s phone number for urgent text messages: +48 515 89 70 49 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting            +48 515 89 70 49      end_of_the_skype_highlighting. Witnesses of the events of June 22, 2011 in different cities are welcome.

 17:55 Two left strips leading from Independence Square to Engels Street and back have been blocked.

17:35 October Square in encircled. People are allowed to enter but they cannot stay in one place for a long time. Members of special police troops wearing black T-shirts with the inscription “police” on their backs have created this cordon. 


Young people are being driven away from the parapets near the entrances to the metro, informs a Euroradio reporter.


There are many people with walkie-talkie sets who are giving orders to the police near the entrances to October Square.


Buses with policemen and a blue mini-bus “Volkswagen” can be found in the backyard of McDonalds. Similar buses and a few police buses are parked near the Palace of the Republic.


A stage is installed in Freedom Square. Policemen with radio metal locators are inspecting people slowly. It is only possible to reach Lenin Street walking from the Palace of the Republic if you go to International Street and walk along the side where the musical college is situated.

 

17.20 According to nn.by, special police troops are installing turnstiles around October Square. A police bus is parked under the big screen in a pointed manner.


Let us remind you that people go to central squares in many Belarusian cities every Wednesday at 7 p.m. and simply walk there. The initiative was created in social networks. People demand economic and political changes this way.

 

Photo by: twitter.com