Riot Police Attack Belarus Opposition

[alp227]

Source: The New York Times

MINSK, Russia — Heavily armed riot police tossed stun grenades and battered opposition activists with truncheons on Sunday night here as they broke up a gathering to protest the conduct of Belarus’s presidential election.

The violence erupted without warning as a group of 100 or so supporters of an opposition candidate was walking peacefully toward a central square in Minsk, the capital, where several candidates were planning to hold a united demonstration against the Belarus president, Aleksandr G. Lukashenko.

Mr. Lukashenko, often referred to as Europe’s last dictator, had earlier in the day suggested that the authorities would take steps to ensure that the opposition would not be able to gather to protest the results. He is expected to easily win another term, after balloting that his rivals maintain was not free and fair.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/20/world/europe/20belarus.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&pagewanted=all

[Joanne98]

1. It's probably another 'colored' revolution.

Nobody's falling for that anymore!

[Posteritatis]

2. *facepalm* (nt)

[underpants]

3. Thousands try to storm govt building in Belarus

Source: AP/Yahoo

MINSK, Belarus – Thousands of opposition supporters in Belarus tried to storm the main government building to protest what the opposition claims was large-scale vote-rigging in Sunday's presidential election.

Dozens of protesters were injured in clashes with riot police, left bruised and bloody after being beaten with clubs. An Associated Press reporter at the scene also was struck on the head, back and arm.

Protesters broke windows and glass doors, but were pushed back by riot police waiting inside the building, which also houses the Central Election Commission. Hundreds more riot police then arrived in trucks.

About 40,000 opposition activists rallied in central Minsk to call for longtime authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko to step down. It was the largest opposition rally since 1996.



Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101219/ap_on_re_eu/eu_belarus_election

[social_critic]

4. Interesting

But I don't think 40 thousand will convince the government to resign unless the Russians back them.

[Igel]

7. Nope.

Too important to let it not be suitably "conditioned" for Russia's benefit. Even if Lukashenka gives Putin a fit every now and then. (Hey, even lackeys have to preserve the illusion of dignity.)

[Mojorabbit]

5. The list of countries with unrest continues to grow. nt

[naaman fletcher]

6. Ah... Not everyone likes Chavez's friend I see. Nt

[muriel_volestrangler]

8. opposition leaders beaten as Lukashenko declares victory

Alexander Lukashenko's hardline regime detains hundreds after election protests as international monitors condemn Belarus poll

A Belarusian presidential candidate was dragged from his hospital bed and arrested today, just hours after police beat him and other protesters who rallied against an allegedly rigged election victory for the hardline leader, Alexander Lukashenko.

Men thought to be security agents carried candidate Vladimir Neklyayev, a 64-year-old poet, out of a ward where he was being treated for blows to the head at about 2am. His wife, Olga, told reporters: "We were in a hospital room when plainclothes men burst in, wrapped him up in a blanket and dragged out of the room in an unknown direction."

Six more of the nine opposition candidates in the election, including former deputy foreign minister Andrei Sannikov, were reportedly under arrest this morning as Lukashenko's regime moved swiftly to crush dissent.

Up to 400 activists were also detained, according to the Vyasna human rights group, which itself was stormed at 3.15am by members of the KGB, as Belarus's security agency is still called.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/dec/20/presidential-candidate-dragged-from-hospital

Belarus urged to stop clampdown on opposition

20 December 2010

Amnesty International has condemned the violent dispersal of a mainly peaceful demonstration in the aftermath of Sunday’s presidential election in Belarus which was marred by irregularities.

In what appears to be a clampdown on opposition activities, seven of the nine opposition presidential candidates have been detained along with as many as 500 peaceful demonstrators, opposition activists, human rights defenders and journalists, many of whom were beaten by riot police.

Earlier today the Belarusian Minister of Internal Affairs, Anatoly Kuleshov, said that the activists were charged with organizing an unsanctioned meeting and could face up to 15 years’ imprisonment. According a local non-governmental organization, 14 people, including five former presidential candidates, have been charged with this offence.

“The events of the last 24 hours obliterate the fragile signs of openness in the run-up to the presidential election,” said Heather McGill, Amnesty International’s expert on Belarus.

http://www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/belarus-urged-stop-clampdown-opposition-2010-12-20