Hundreds Detained in Belarus Protests

Police in Belarus on Saturday detained hundreds of people protesting President Alexander Lukashenko’s rule in Minsk. Demonstrators condemned the government’s controversial tax on the unemployed—dubbed a law against “social parasites”—and the country’s falling living standards, with many calling for Lukashenko’s ouster after nearly 25 years of rule. The protest came after Lukashenko echoed Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier this week, accusing critics of acting as a “fifth column” and seeking to overthrow him at the behest of foreign forces. Police dragged away protesters shouting slogans and holding up banners, and Reuters reported seeing at least 10 journalists detained, along with passersby. Police were also reportedly blocking off access points to the square where the protest was held in a bid to squash the unrest, with nearby metro stations closed and water cannons kept nearby to use against protesters. One protester at the rally said he’d initially supported Lukashenko but had grown disillusioned. “I voted for him (Lukashenko) but now I tell Lukashenko—leave,” Lubov Sankevich was cited as saying. “I'm afraid but how long we can be afraid? Why should I be afraid of prison if I'm already in prison?”