Freedom Day procession is authorized, but the use of flags and posters is banned
Minsk City Executive
Committee authorized the meeting and procession in honor of Freedom
Day on 24 March. However, the place of gathering was transferred to
the ground in front of "Kastrychnik" cinema.
The
organizers of the processing and meeting Yury Hubarevich ("For
Freedom" movement), Uladzimir Ramanouski (United Civil Party)
and Aliaksei Yanukevich (Belarusian Popular Front) received the
permission of Minsk City Executive Committee to hold the action on 24
March in Minsk. The action organizers intended to gather the people
near Botanical Garden, but the authorities transferred the place to
the ground in front of "Kastrychnik" cinema and put a ban
on the use of historical symbols, flags and banners, as it would
allegedly be a trait of another kind of mass event –
demonstration.
Yury Hubarevich: "I think that Minsk City
Executive Committee couldn't take another decision. It depends on the
political situation in Belarus first of all, in particular – the
attempts of the Belarusian government to establish contacts with the
European countries. The action ban would have looked improper in this
respect."
However, Minsk authorities did everything
possible to complicate the celebration. First of all, they changed
the place of the gathering, which means that we will have to
additionally explain the people where to gather. They also prohibited
the use of banners and transparencies which has always been a sign of
holiday. I think that it will cause a negative reaction on the part
of the action participants, and can also serve as a reason for
detentions and subsequent administrative trials of organizers and
participants of the event.
Aliaksei Yanukevich, in his turn,
believes that the decision of Minsk authorities is to be considered
positively, and the organizing committee will find a way to decorate
the procession in a way which would give no grounds for
pretensions:
"I have a positive impression. The allowed
place of the gathering – in front of "Kastrychnik"
cinema, is in the center, which is convenient. I consider it to be a
positive sign. I hope that the authorities won't create obstacles
during the event. I think that citizens of Minsk and the whole
Belarus have all reasons not to pay any regard to the possible
provocations and obstacles. The action will be peaceful and I call
everybody to take part in it.
Uladzimir Ramanouski thinks that
the executive committee just issued a "verdict". This way
of communication can be characterized as a civil war between the
authorities and the society.
According to the decision of
Minsk City Executive Committee, the procession on the Freedom Day is
to take place on Sunday, 24 March. The people will gather on the
ground in front of "Kastrychnik" cinema in 73 Nezalezhnast
Avenue. The procession will go along the avenue and then – towards
Druzhby Narodau Park along Surhanau Street, where a meeting will be
held at 2-3 p.m.
The executive committee also warned the
action organizers that posters, transparencies, banners and other
similar items couldn't be used during the procession, as it was a
feature of another kind of mass events – demonstration.