Hundreds of thousands flood the streets of Minsk, Belarus to demand the resignation of president Lukashenka for stealing last week's election, Sunday, August 23, 2020. (Evgeniy Maloletka/Associated Press)
Aug 23, 2020
A massive crowd of hundreds of thousands of protesters gathered in Minsk on Sunday, demanding President Alexander Lukashenko's resignation and saying "Fuck You!" to the Belarusian strongman's warning that "stringent measures" would be employed to "defend" the country.
\u201cThe turnout in Minsk today for the manifestation for democracy looks absolutely massive. The regime effort to scare people away have so far failed. Dare the regime send the army against its people?\u201d— Carl Bildt (@Carl Bildt) 1598190489
Waving red-and-white opposition flags, protesters chanted "Freedom" as a sea of people, numbering in the hundreds of thousands made their way to Independence Square in the heart of the Belarusian capital.
"Minsk never has seen such crowds in its history," said an independent journalist in Minsk..
The protesters say Mr. Lukashenko stole the election and want him to resign.
The president has vowed to crush the ongoing unrest and previously blamed the dissent on unnamed "foreign-backed revolutionaries".
Lukashenko has rejected the idea of holding another election, dismissed calls to resign, and accused his opponents of attempting to seize power.
On Friday he vowed to "solve the problem" of the protest movement.
\u201cIt started off with a subdued, sinister atmosphere today in Minsk: thin crowds, rain, loudspeakers warning of arrest, the army threatening to restore order. \n\nAnd then more people came. And more. And more. \n\nBelarus amazes once again.\u201d— Shaun Walker (@Shaun Walker) 1598189216
\u201cMinsk right now\nMINSK RIGHT NOW\u201d— Polina Ivanova (@Polina Ivanova) 1598189727
\u201cRiot police is being deployed in large numbers in the center of #Minsk \nvideo NEXTA\u201d— Denis Kazakiewicz (@Denis Kazakiewicz) 1598201278
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A massive crowd of hundreds of thousands of protesters gathered in Minsk on Sunday, demanding President Alexander Lukashenko's resignation and saying "Fuck You!" to the Belarusian strongman's warning that "stringent measures" would be employed to "defend" the country.
\u201cThe turnout in Minsk today for the manifestation for democracy looks absolutely massive. The regime effort to scare people away have so far failed. Dare the regime send the army against its people?\u201d— Carl Bildt (@Carl Bildt) 1598190489
Waving red-and-white opposition flags, protesters chanted "Freedom" as a sea of people, numbering in the hundreds of thousands made their way to Independence Square in the heart of the Belarusian capital.
"Minsk never has seen such crowds in its history," said an independent journalist in Minsk..
The protesters say Mr. Lukashenko stole the election and want him to resign.
The president has vowed to crush the ongoing unrest and previously blamed the dissent on unnamed "foreign-backed revolutionaries".
Lukashenko has rejected the idea of holding another election, dismissed calls to resign, and accused his opponents of attempting to seize power.
On Friday he vowed to "solve the problem" of the protest movement.
\u201cIt started off with a subdued, sinister atmosphere today in Minsk: thin crowds, rain, loudspeakers warning of arrest, the army threatening to restore order. \n\nAnd then more people came. And more. And more. \n\nBelarus amazes once again.\u201d— Shaun Walker (@Shaun Walker) 1598189216
\u201cMinsk right now\nMINSK RIGHT NOW\u201d— Polina Ivanova (@Polina Ivanova) 1598189727
\u201cRiot police is being deployed in large numbers in the center of #Minsk \nvideo NEXTA\u201d— Denis Kazakiewicz (@Denis Kazakiewicz) 1598201278
A massive crowd of hundreds of thousands of protesters gathered in Minsk on Sunday, demanding President Alexander Lukashenko's resignation and saying "Fuck You!" to the Belarusian strongman's warning that "stringent measures" would be employed to "defend" the country.
\u201cThe turnout in Minsk today for the manifestation for democracy looks absolutely massive. The regime effort to scare people away have so far failed. Dare the regime send the army against its people?\u201d— Carl Bildt (@Carl Bildt) 1598190489
Waving red-and-white opposition flags, protesters chanted "Freedom" as a sea of people, numbering in the hundreds of thousands made their way to Independence Square in the heart of the Belarusian capital.
"Minsk never has seen such crowds in its history," said an independent journalist in Minsk..
The protesters say Mr. Lukashenko stole the election and want him to resign.
The president has vowed to crush the ongoing unrest and previously blamed the dissent on unnamed "foreign-backed revolutionaries".
Lukashenko has rejected the idea of holding another election, dismissed calls to resign, and accused his opponents of attempting to seize power.
On Friday he vowed to "solve the problem" of the protest movement.
\u201cIt started off with a subdued, sinister atmosphere today in Minsk: thin crowds, rain, loudspeakers warning of arrest, the army threatening to restore order. \n\nAnd then more people came. And more. And more. \n\nBelarus amazes once again.\u201d— Shaun Walker (@Shaun Walker) 1598189216
\u201cMinsk right now\nMINSK RIGHT NOW\u201d— Polina Ivanova (@Polina Ivanova) 1598189727
\u201cRiot police is being deployed in large numbers in the center of #Minsk \nvideo NEXTA\u201d— Denis Kazakiewicz (@Denis Kazakiewicz) 1598201278
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