Brutal dispersal of mass event in support of Ukraine

At 2 p.m. on March 2 activists of various civil society movements tried to hold a protest action near the Embassy of the Russian Federation. They were met by paddy wagons and policemen, most of whom were dressed in civvies.

Some of them had ribbons with the colors of the Russian flag on their sleeves. The “men in civvies” acted violently: they didn't even let the protesters unfurl any posters and streamers. More than 25 people were detained at once, including passers-by.

According to information of human rights defenders, among the detainees there are a “Nasha Niva” correspondent Iryna Arekhouskaya, journalists Siarhei Hapon, Uladzimir Hrydzin, Artsiom Liava, Vital Siamashka, Ina Studzinskaya and Yauhen Yerchak, as well as socio-political activists Auhinnia Bahinskaya, Zmitser Dashkevich, Viktar Dudko, Liudmila Karavianskaya, Yana Kazakova, Henadz Lutsenka, Stanislau Pachnel, Raman Pratasevich, Zmitser Predka, Natallia Rak, Ihar Serhiyevich, Maryia Trafimava, Maryiana Tsitova, ordinary passers-by and event the press-attache of a European country. The rumours are that it is the attache of the Russian Federation Pchelintsev.

All of them were taken to the Tsentralny District Police Department and weren't taken to the WC.

As of 3 p.m., the detained journalists, including Viktar Siamashka (whom Chairman of the Main Police Department of the Minsk City Executive Committee Aliaksandr Barsukou threatened to imprison for chanting “Glory to Heroes!”) were released. Barsukou called them corrupt. After the release, he also suggested that the police could drive home all the journalists who had such a need.