Minsk: Aliaksandr Milinkevich Meets with Electorate despite Resistance of Authorities

At 6 p.m. on 2 March the candidate to the presidential position Aliaksandr Milinkevich met with the electorate in the center of Minsk. The Freedom Square that was announced as the place for the meeting was ringed by the special police forces. The adjacent yards were full of police busses and persons in plain clothes, who held walkie-talkies. As a result the people moved to the Palace of Sport, but the way was blocked by the internal army. Soldiers in helmets stood in line, holding riddles in front of them. They also had truncheons. Behind the line of soldiers there stood major Paulichenka, who directed the action. Finally, Aliaksandr Milinkevich addressed the electorate from the stairs of the sportive complex of the Working reserves.

The police and persons in plain clothes also blocked the tube stations Niamiha and Kastrychnitskaia, as well as the ways to Kastrychnitskaia Square (that was ringed with a chain of busses) and the Freedom Square.