Valentine's Day action in Minsk (on-line)
A youth action took place on February 14 in Minsk to mark the St. Valentine's Day. The action was organized by the unregistered organization Malady Front. The city authorities issued no formal permission for the action.
Across the street at the St. Maria Cathedral, over a dozen young people, mainly girls, gathered. They were neatly dressed. Some of them had white-red-white bands in their hair.
The originally planned service for the Christian love and prayers for Belarus did not take place in the church.
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At 1730 3-4 plaincolthes agents continued to remain at the square. They stopped our correpondent near the building of the old city hall. The plainclothes man said the passage to the sqaure was banned. He refused to explain why.
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17.50. Our correspondent reports that the Freedom Square has been cordoned by dozens of men in black. Their uniform bears no identification signs. Around 30 plainclothes agents are hiding behind the city hall building, where the action participants were planned to gather.
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According to nn.by, police began preventive detentions of youth activists several hours before the action. Siarzhuk Lisichonak, one of the leader of Malady Front was detained at his own department. Activist Ljudmila Atakulava was arrested on the street. At 1600 police dispersed an action by The Youth of the Belarusian Popular Front at the Jakub Kolas square in the central Minsk. Different sources report that from 6 to 10 people have been detained.
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1805 -- 5 girls, wearing hearts on their coats are handing out flowers to bypassers. Several dozens of youth have remained near the city hall building surrounded by journalists and police agents.
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1815 -- Around 40 action participants are standing at the steps in front of the city hall building. A poster "Malady Front" has appeared. The men in black are standing nearby.
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1820 -- The crowd started moving towards the bridge over Niamiga. Our correspondent has noticed two posters, saying "Malady Front" and "Action of Love". The youth are carrying on their shoulders the white-red-white flags and the flags of EU countries. Some are shouting "Long Live Belarus!" The crowd has crossed the street and come to the French Embassy.
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1825 -- Two girls entered the French Embassy. They wanted to greet the French diplomats with the Valentine's Day. Several dozens of the youth are wating for their return at the street. People are shouting "Long Live Belarus!". Among the demonstrators are Alexander Mlinkevich and his wife Ina Kulej.
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1840 -- The girls came out of the French Embassy. Around 60-70 participants are going to continue their rally on the sidewalks. They have raised three huge flags -- the white-red-white, the EU flag and the flag of the Malady Front. The crowd has started moving towards the German Embassy.
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1850 -- Around 100 people are moving along the sidewalks towards the crossing of Lenin street and Independent avenue. A riot police bus is slowly following behind. Plainclothes agents tried to detaine one of the activists, but the crowd managed to have fought him back.
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1855 -- People continue moving on October Square. More participants are joining in.
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1900 -- 100-120 demonstrators are walking towards the Victory Square. 5 people, including youth activist Barys Garetsky, are reported to have been detained.
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1910 -- The column has approached the Victory Square. Demonstrators are shouting "Long Live Belarus!", "We Believe, We Can, We Will Win!", "Belarus to Europe". Plainclothes men have just captured the flag of the Malady Front...
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1920 -- The demonstrators have reached the building of the German Embassy on Zakharava street...The demonstrators presented Valentine's Day gifts to the representatives of the embassy and read out a statement devoted to the St.Valentine's Day.
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1940 -- The rally has turned towards the U.S. Embassy. Barys Garetsky was indeed arrested at Janka Kupala street...
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1950 -- Around 80 demonstrators are moving on the sidewalks on Kiseliova street towards the U.S.Embassy.
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2005 -- The youth are talking to the deputy head of U.S. mission in Belarus. The action is expected to finish there.
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2010 -- The action has finished. The participants are departing in groups. Two people -- Barys Garetski and Siarzhuk Guminski have been detained during the action, but shortly released, according to nn.by. The activists of the Youth of the Belarusian Popular Front, detained earlier today, have also been released.
Photo by nn.by
