BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

13/08/2007

Belarusian Police Spoil Country Picnic For Opposition Group

More than 300 members of the Movement for Freedom, a recently established opposition organization led by former presidential candidate Alyaksandr Milinkevich, took part in what was described as a "barbecue" a few dozen kilometers outside Minsk on August 11, Belapan reported. "There was an exchange of information and ideas. The movement's founders held a conference to reapply for its registration. Sports events were organized," Yury Hubarevich, deputy chairman of the movement, told the agency. Police officers arrived at the scene in the evening. "Upon hearing their conversation, we understood that they had known about the gathering in advance but had been unable to find us," Hubarevich said. The police ordered the opposition activists to disperse at 10:30 p.m., and seized their sound-amplifying equipment. JM

Source:

http://www.rferl.org/newsline/2007/08/3-cee/cee-130807.asp