MINSK, November 2. /TASS/: Police detained some 300 people at unauthorized rallies in Minsk and the Minsk Region on November 1, Belarusian Interior Ministry Spokesperson Olga Chemodanova said on her Telegram channel on Monday.
"Nearly 300 people were detained for violating the law on mass events in Minsk and in the Minsk Region, and administrative protocols were drawn up against them," the spokesperson said.
Those detained had put up active resistance to police, she noted. In particular, protesters used an improvised explosive device. Police had repeatedly warned that any unlawful steps were unacceptable and took measures to thwart crimes, the spokesperson stressed. The law enforcement officers used stun grenades and rubber bullets.
An investigation was launched into active resistance to police and blocking traffic. A total of 13 protests were held across the country. Meanwhile, the spokesperson noted that "protests in other regions of the republic did not significantly spread and the number of their participants basically did not exceed 10."
Nationwide demonstrations have engulfed Belarus following the August 9 presidential election. According to the Central Election Commission’s official results, incumbent President Alexander Lukashenko won by a landslide, garnering 80.10% of the vote. His closest rival in the race, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, came in second, with 10.12% of the ballot. However, she refused to recognize the election’s outcome, and left Belarus for Lithuania. After the results of the exit polls were announced late on August 9, mass protests erupted in downtown Minsk and other Belarusian cities. During the early post-election period, the rallies snowballed into fierce clashes between the protesters and police. The current unrest is being cheered on by the opposition’s Coordination Council, which has been beating the drum for more protests. In response, the Belarusian authorities have castigated the ongoing turmoil and demanded that these unauthorized demonstrations be stopped.
