BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

25/03/2007

Police block protesters from main square in Belarus capital, allow gathering elsewhere

The Associated Press

MINSK, Belarus: Police on Sunday blocked thousands of opposition supporters from holding a rally on the city's main square, but allowed them to gather about two kilometers (1.5 miles) away for a demonstration that activists hope will boost momentum for change in the authoritarian ex-Soviet republic.

Last year's annual protest march on what the opposition calls Freedom Day - the anniversary of the 1918 declaration of the first Belarusian state - ended with police clubbing defiant demonstrators and detaining hundreds.

But President Alexander Lukashenko, facing increased economic pressure from Russia which raised gas and oil prices for Belarus this year, has begun to speak about improving ties with European nations, which have long denounced his repressive regime.

Both the opposition and European Union officials have called Sunday's march a real test of whether Lukashenko's government is ready for a new dialogue with Europe.

Police blocked off Oktyabrskaya Square in central Minsk as protesters converged on the area. Some shoving broke out as protesters tried to break through the police lines, but the police eventually drove the demonstrators away.

They began marching in two large columns to the Academy of Sciences, whose portico overlooks a large open space. About 15,000 demonstrators gathered there, waiting for opposition leaders to arrive and speak to the crowd.

Opposition leader Alexander Milinkevich told The Associated Press on the eve of the demonstration that he would consider the rally a major success if he can bring his supporters to the square - and get them home again safely.

He refused to speculate about how many people might come, but noted that interest wasn't as high as last year's rally which marked the culmination of an unprecedented week of protests against Lukashenko's disputed re-election to a third term.

"Today, the mood of the people isn't like it was a year ago when people believed in a quick change," Milinkevich said.

During his 13 years of power, Lukashenko has quashed dissent and opposition parties, jailed opponents and closed independent media. His European critics have dubbed him "Europe's last dictator."

In a move that surprised opposition leaders, Lukashenko ordered the government to commemorate the founding of the first Belarusian state - which was overrun by the Bolsheviks after only 10 months.

The government had never previously acknowledged the date. A separate government-sponsored concert and rally downtown is planned for Sunday.

But in the run-up to the opposition rally, the opposition said that at least 34 activists had been arrested or detained and that hundreds had been ordered not to come to Minsk.

State-controlled television broadcast a news segment Saturday night that warned of administrative fines and possible criminal action for violation of public order, emphasizing that this also included participation in non-sanctioned rallies. The news report never directly mentioned the opposition's planned rally, however.

Source:

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/03/25/europe/EU-GEN-Belarus-Opposition-Protest.php