8 May: detentions in the center of Minsk
Riot police forces were thrown in Minsk center in the evening of 8 May. Many people, both opposition activists and passers-by, were detained.
The Charter’97 press center learnt it from Artur Finkevich, leader of the Young Belarus organization. According to him, dozens rot militiamen arrive to October square at 5.30 p.m. They started to arrest people walking in Minsk center. They detained youngsters who usually meet at Kastrychnitskaya metro station, near Tsentralny supermarket and the McDonald’s restaurant.
‘I was going to a drugstore with my girlfriend. Riot policemen in mufti caught me when I was walking by McDonald’s, guarded me to a police station at Kastrychnitskaya metro station. There were 25 or 30 people. Someone had a guitar, someone did shopping... There were 6 Young Belarus activists, the rest were just passers-by,’ Finkevich said.
The people were kept at the police station till 7.00 p.m., their passport details were written down, and then they were set free. All people were said in a menacing tone they shouldn’t go to the square on 9 May, where the war veterans rally in the presence of Alexander Lukashenka would be held.
