- Title: BELARUS: POLICE BREAK UP RALLY PROTESTING REFERENDUM
- Date: 19th October 2004
- Summary: (W7) MINSK, BELARUS (OCTOBER 18, 2004) (REUTERS) 1. SLV PROTESTERS MARCHING ALONG WITH STREET CHANTING "NO TO THE THIRD TERM"; MV PROTESTERS WALKING ALONG STREET WITH EU FLAG 0.21 2. MV POLICE BLOCKING STREET; SLV RIOT POLICE PUSHING PROTESTER INTO POLICE BUS; RIOT POLICE DRAGGING TOWARDS POLICE BUS 1.01 3. SLV CLASHES;SLV PEOPLE SHOUTING "
- Embargoed: 3rd November 2004 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: MINSK, BELARUS
- Country: Belarus
- Reuters ID: LVA8VSGY9CFCP3LH6BYLZ7EXRYJJ
- Story Text: Police break up rally protesting Belarus referendum.
Police in Minsk broke up a crowd demonstrating against
a referendum that approved allowing Belarussian President
Alexander Lukashenko to stay in power for another term.
"We protest against the present regime, we don't want
Belarus to become authoritarian state," said a student, who
declined to give his name.
Protesters gathered near the president's offices and
chanted "Long Live belarus", "No to the third term" and
"Lukashenko lost". Police beat some demonstrators and
dragged them into buses.
The rally came just hours after Lukashenko expressed
delight at receiving the support of nearly 80 percent of
registered
voters for his plan to stay in power for a third term.
Western monitors said the referendum, held in
conjunction with parliamentary elections which shut out the
liberal
opposition, fell badly short of international standards.
After being dispersed near the president's offices by
the riot police the demonstrators, many waving EU flags
moved to the Palace of Republic in central Minsk.
About hundred of them still remain there, chanting
"Shame" and "No to the third term".
- Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None