BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

25/03/2007

Belarus opposition rallies amid heavy security

Hundreds of opposition activists staged a rally amid heavy security in the Belarus capital Sunday to protest against President Alexander Lukashenko.

Hundreds of police, Special Forces officers and paratroopers closed off access to Oktyabrskaya Square in central Minsk, where activists held a four-day rally last year after Lukashenko's controversial re-election in 2006.

Lukashenko, who has ruled Belarus since 1994, allows no criticism in the state-controlled media and has imposed severe restrictions on opposition demonstrations, AFP reported.

Around a dozen buses for security forces and several prison vans were parked in a corner of the square, as well as a column of military personnel vehicles moving towards the center.

The opposition has also accused Belorussian authorities of making a series of pre-emptive arrests over the past few days, with nearly 50 activists put behind bars in a bid to cripple Sunday's demonstration.

Source:

http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=3778§ionid=3510206