Fake Action by ‘State NGO’

Source: www.charter97.org

Representatives of the Belarusian Republican Youth Union (BRSM) held an action in Minsk on 14 February, St. Valentine’s Day, before the actions of democratic youth activists. BRSM members exchanged badges in national red and white colors against red-green badges with official symbols. The BelaPAN information agency has been informed about that by a witness of the action Natallia Shukhman.

As said by her, the action lasted for 30 minutes. About 40 persons have taken part in it. Badges with symbols of the Belarusian democratic movement had been handed out to participants in advance. Then participants came to organizers and exchanged them. To the question where they have found such badges, somebody told a joke they had been ‘stolen’. STV channel was filming the action. Its participants were asking all the time when they could see themselves on TV. As told by N.Shukhman, ‘there were no real representatives of oppositional youth among the participants of the action’.

The press-secretary of the Young Front Barys Haretski commented: ‘Nobody would give away their badges of their own accord. White-red-white badges with symbols in support of freedom are seized from those who are wearing them in universities and schools.’