Authorities afraid of people’s protests

Brest activists of the democratic forces were banned to hold 52 pickets against decline in material standing of people.

It was planned to hold pickets in Brest on September 30. The objective was attracting attention of public and governmental bodies to the decline in material standing caused by consumer goods price increase, decrease in purchasing power and actual wages, and consolidating the efforts of people in their struggle for social and economic rights.

The applicants wanted to hold 47 out of 52 pickets in crowded places of Brest (near trading centres) and yards. They planed to carry out five pickets at Lokomotiv Stadium (the only place in Brest, where the city executive committee allows holding such events). One of the pickets was planned to be joint, organized by city organizations of the Belarusian Party of Communists, the Belarusian Social Democratic Party (Hramada), the United Civil Party, and the BPF Party.

As BelaPAN learnt from Hanna Kanyus, the head of the city BSDP (Hramada) branch, the city executive committee rejects applications to those who wanted to old pickets in the streets and years of Brest explaining Lokomotiv Stadium must be used for this. But pickets at the stadium were also forbidden, because the annual traditional football tournament takes place there on September 30. The exact time of the event wasn’t announced.

“We regard these bans as an intention of the authorities not to allow public display of social and economic problems, topical for many Brest dwellers,” Kanyus told. “We’ll appeal against the bans in the court, because we think they violate our right to peaceful assembly, freedom of expression and opinions.”