"No one intends to retreat"

In Belarus, street protests continue. Promotors - about why they are not stopped by detention and riot police

Belarus protests the fourth day because of the official results of the presidential election , according to which Alexander Lukashenko remains the head of the country. His main rival Svetlana Tikhanovskaya left the country under pressure from the authorities. But street shares are not stopped by either this or thousands of detentions throughout the country. Medusa talked with the protesters about how they are affected by riot police cruelty and whether the shares have any single leader.

The heroes of the material asked not to indicate their surnames for security reasons.

Denis

40 years, Minsk

On the first day [protests] I was on foot - I went out, walked. The second and third was in a car. I decided [so] for security, since I am an entrepreneur - I am responsible for 300 people, pay people a salary. And how will it be if I are not? Normally, the people will suffer.

Yesterday I accidentally found myself [at the place of protests]. I decided to drive to [street] Pritetskiy - I live nearby. Young people in civilian - [but] in baseball caps, masks and shotguns ran there. [This is] the police in civilian. They pursued young people, shot with rubber bullets. About 20 riot police ran to the night at the night - people ran away from them there. And on parallel streets there were troops - six ordinary route white minibuses, in which there were internal troops.

I was not detained, but I was very affected by the disconnection of the Internet - as an entrepreneur. All payments, all the acts-zings-everything has become more complicated. Russian companions refused to send us money. We won a tender in Russia, but as a result of what is happening to us was told: “Excuse me, we will not send you money for now.” And as a citizen, all this touches me very much.

[Directly] Now I do not participate [in protests]. In my opinion, a booth is happening now. There is no leader . Around whom to rally? Spontaneous actions-I doubt that they will lead to something. The right option is a nationwide strike. Do not go to state -owned enterprises, stop buying lotteries. What then will he [Lukashenko] feed riot police?

The mood [protest] comes to naught slowly. Maybe this is due to the disconnection of the Internet. More and more pessimism - and the fact that Tikhanovskaya took and left. It is clear that they pressed it on her, but what is here, people are not crushing? This is a serious factor. Although everyone understood that she was not particularly a leader, all the same, her departure dropped the morale of the people. Takes evil, but there is no aggression. And until riot police appear - all people are happy, satisfied. Aggression comes only from law enforcement.

Maxim

27 years old, Minsk

On the first day, I went with my colleagues. The plan was to gather for a peaceful protest near the stele “Minsk is the city of Hero”, but we did not reach the stele itself. It was about 22 hours, on the way the crowd met the massive cordon of riot police - and began to slowly push people further. At the same time, several thousand [protesters] gathered before managed to get to the stele. Subsequently, the main events unfolded there.

All the attention of riot police was pulled on people in the epicenter. There, after provocations from the power organs, clashes began. A lot of people began to accumulate around the cordon from different sides. It is impossible to evaluate, but by midnight there were up to ten thousand only below and on the approaches to Nemiga Street.

People were determined peacefully. There were men, women, young, elderly. Changed peaceful slogans. I personally saw a wheelchair user and a person on crutches. Due to the lack of the Internet, many did not know anything about the action, came out after calls from friends. [There was no hint of power confrontation. Nemiga Street was not overlapped until the very end, passing cars signal everything without exception.

Closer to one in the morning, when the events inside the cordon began to develop rapidly, explosions of light -school grenades were heard. One after another, ambulances were rode, reinforcements in the form of KGB machines, armored vehicles, and a column of auto -zaks. Closer to two nights, people gradually diverge.

On the second day, I did not find the main events, since the foci began to flash in sleeping areas. The center was cordoned back at 19:00. By 20:00 there was not a soul in the center - like post -apocalypse. Closed shops, there are no cars, only the police cordons.

Spontaneous protests began to flash along large streets. The cars signaling without ceasing, people stood along the streets. OMON came to the places of accumulation [people] periodically. People in groups of 100-150 people scatter, then returned again when riot police left.

On the second day, riot police had enough people where he could. Basically, these were simply walking along the street and those who were not at that time and in the wrong place. They attacked small groups or single people and immediately packed in a car zakak. The second day was more tough in all plans.

On the third day, I went out alone. And after 10 minutes, he almost became a victim of raids. An unremarkable minibus stopped at the intersection, where the cars signal the cars and ordinary people crossed the road - not demonstrators. Four riot police jumped out of it and rushed at people. I managed to run away.

[The main] events again unfolded in sleeping areas, grenades, rubber bullets and military equipment were again involved. On Tuesday, the actions of the security forces became more radical. They grabbed not only in places of crowds, but in all microdistricts in a row. Buses traveled around the city and caught everyone who could.

The motivation to reach the protests for everyone about one thing: disagreement with the results of the elections, the desire to achieve the rule of law in the country and an honest counting of votes. There is a consensus in society that they are not ready to live with Lukashenko for another five years and will fight to the last.

This is the first time in the history of the country, when regions are massively participating in the protests, and the cities from large to very small ones. Everyone understands that it really voted for Lukashenko 15–20%. Everyone saw the numbers from the "honest" areas, voted themselves, talked with their friends and understand what was happening.

No one talks about leaders. No one discussed either the departure of Tikhanovskaya or the event around. People express a protest, the main goal of which is to show both themselves and the authorities that we are the absolute majority and that no one intends to retreat.

The protests are fully decentralized, there are not even local leaders or organizers, people are looking for information in telegram chats, and also discuss in small groups.

People are tempered by unity. Universal solidarity reigns. People open the entrances to accept people running away from riot police, take water and medicines. They drive a car along the streets and collect people who need to be lifted or covered from the security forces. This also gives everyone strength.

Julia

32 years, Minsk

I went to protests all three days. The first day was on the stele in the epicenter, it was not scary. The army accelerated people, they fled with shields, but no one shot. And the grenades were thrown, but not into the crowd.

On the second day, I drove by car. They blocked the road, we went out and walked on on foot. It seemed to me that the car was safer, as you can leave. And people in the car were not beaten. It all ended more or less normally.

Yesterday I also went to the [metro station] "Pushkinskaya", to the center. But the people are becoming less, because riot police behave cruelly. It was already scary to signal: there is a feeling that you can be grabbed from the car just like that.

[Yesterday] people stood at the metro, began to gather on a stone hill. These are peaceful people who stand and watch. It was not an action, a spontaneous something. And I stood at a traffic light. On the other hand, military equipment drove up, and I was in the middle. And then OMON began to shoot indiscriminately. Something like this happens.

People [became] specifically less. But not because they do not want to go out, but because any cluster of people immediately disperse. It’s scary to go alone, and companies are disconnected by all means. There is now the maximum stiffness. Yesterday I was sitting in a car, and a noise grenade flew into the next car. The feeling arose that already in the car you are in greater danger. [A] If I run out sharply and run, then most likely they will shoot me. And you sit absolutely blocked.

It is felt that everyone is very intimidated. My friend was walking with a white bracelet, spoke on the phone. They ran to him, took it and cannot find for two days. People are scared in principle to leave home. But I will go out anyway. I think everyone should make at least some kind of contribution. If we stop now, then everything will be in vain.

We do not need a leader. People just come out. We were turned off the Internet these days. [But] people come out. It turns out everything spontaneously. You just get into this wave, and [there is] a crazy feeling of unity - it controls everyone. All people achieve the same. Everyone has one goal - to achieve honest elections.

Gleb

25 years old, Brest

These three days can be divided as chapters in the book. On the first day, there were many people who chanted “Live Belarus”, “Faith, Mojam, Peramaes” ( “We believe, we can win,” - approx. Medusa ) and other peaceful slogans. People shouted “put the shield” and “police with the people”.

After 40 minutes, it resulted in the fact that OMON lifted the shields and went to people. OMON controlled the police. The police are not entirely prepared for such things - the riot police leads 5-6 policemen and tells them what to do. The movement was blocked, people went out onto the roadway, and riot police snatched people out of the crowd.

I have never seen so many people in Brest. We just started to walk - we have all the rallies with walking. OMON moved on auto -zats and in ordinary city buses. No one knew where to go - everyone moved by inertia. There was no leader. The mood was peaceful. People laughed, although they detained several. People took riot police into the ring - and he was lost and did not know where to go around.

There was a little aggression. OMON jumped out [on the protesters], people said “well”, but no one flew at anyone or beaten. They used pepper gas and minimally light -school grenades. At half a second, everything was already calm.

The next day there was much more police and riot police. People were dispersed as soon as they gathered. As soon as someone was going, riot police arrived and shared everyone. Even women were taken - they pulled them out, beat, was scary and strange.

People reacted more hotly. Even a skirmish turned around, asphalt flew, tiles towards riot police. When people began to pack, women came forward. But they were also taken away, despite the cries of "shame."

On the same day, the game began. OMON adjusted all his forces. He went [on the protesting] shields, having blocked the whole street, there were a lot of explosives. People began to pull the benches on the roadway to build barricades. The aggressive protest movement began. [ Fireworks flew into riot police] - but at night there was a cleaning, the next day it was clean, as if nothing had happened.

They detained everyone who fell by the arm. In the courtyards, people helped - they shouted, where riot police - and [thanks to them] the rest got home. [So we] at the last moment in the dark with friends ran into the porch - we were chasing us.

On the third day, all establishments closed at five o’clock - and the city was simply extinct. There were a military with weapons, riot police, but there are no people. Everything is empty, as if the occupation of the city.

People tried to gather in the microdistrict, but they dispersed them. We drove the three of them by car - we were stopped, looked, asked if I knew with whom I was going, we took phones. A friend from the phone deleted all the photos from the rally. The same way, an hour before, my brother drove, he had a camera, he photographed all the events. But he forgot to insert a flash drive into him. They stopped their brother as soon as they saw the camera. He was surrounded by 15 people, pulled out of the car, hands behind his back, began to mature.

They threw their brother on the bus, there were six more people. They beat him with his feet, riot police walked along them by berets. Then they put them in a passenger car, drove to the department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, began to threaten "We will sew everything to you now, you will receive criminal liability for five years for your photos."

I constantly called him. [At the same time] He received messages from Polish friends. Since we did not have the Internet, they informed us what was happening. They sent the messages “riot police there”, sent them in three letters - and the phone at that time was in the hands of a policeman. The brother was eventually released with the words that if he [more] once at a rally, then they will put it.

The third day was empty. People gathered, but even usually there were few walking. The mood after these three days is very depressed. I am engaged in clothes - and sewed for one girl Balaklava. They were not all sold, 100 pieces were [with me]. There was a mood that if they come, they would say that I organized an uprising here. I even wanted to burn them [Balaklava].

The mood is intimidated, it is not clear what to do and what to do next. I arrived [to Belarus] from Poland two years ago to do my own business. There are a lot of interesting people, but now absolutely mixed feelings. The only motivation to get out is a group of people who believe that you can change something. And the more this group of people, the more it will join it and someone will hear. There was a motivation to be heard and show that people are unhappy with what was happening.

Maria

25 years, Minsk

On the 9th [August 2020] I voted in Grodno, as it was registered there, and went to Minsk. Initially, people hoped that it would be possible to go outside and celebrate Tikhanovskaya’s victory. But in the end, we did not celebrate the victory - we had protests against falsified elections.

The day before yesterday I was at the Bangalor Square - this is one of the active points [protest]. There, the guys blocked the intersection. They were helped by drivers of trolleybuses and buses - they became so as to block the road. A lot of people gathered, we sang songs, shouted chants. The most popular songs: "Changes!" Tsoi, for which the two DJs were imprisoned, the “War of Light” and “Gray” about riot police.

There were a lot of families, and then the guys began to build barricades, asked for women, children and grandmothers further. There are many iron fences in this area, which are easily tolerated, and the guys exhibited barricades four times. All blocked, there was a cork, but OMON on the other hand began to approach and blow the checkers. At this time, I decided to leave there.

We walked with friends. [On promotions] people unite, help out. You can go alone and then you will definitely join someone. We had a theory that the girls were not beaten. But she no longer works - they are already beaten. Previously, riot police ran past the girls if you look into their eyes and do not run away. But after yesterday, when the guys began to fight off from riot police, riot police like a beast - already girls, children and women hits. Now it’s not safe nowhere.

On the first day on the streets, people were more relaxed and everyone had the hope that if we all leave, then our “kind” president would say: “If you went out, let's cancel the election.”

But after the first victims and wounds, people begin to anger not only because their voice was stolen, but also to the fact that people for our taxes retain power to a person who hates us. There are “boards of shame” - people are trying to photograph the faces of the security forces, find out their contacts.

The people are more aggressive. My friends, even very apolitical, are very aggressive. Now we massively buy laser poisonings, spray cans with paint. If you buy laser poisoning, you can help people - blind riot police. And the spray can paint the glass [at the helmet] at the riot police, and they will not have visibility. I do not plan to use them, as I am afraid, but I will give out more brave. Nobody is walking empty -handed now. There is a general constructive aggression directed against lawlessness. I live in an old house where grandmothers are massively protruding from the windows and yell at riot police.

Now riot police often sits in the yards and soaks people alone. And this is the worst. They sit under the trees and catch up with you.

We have many chats [for protesters] - and everywhere they write that they directed all the military equipment to the stele, so people do not go there. Now our protests are more local. Everyone goes to their areas so that riot police are running. The “hapunes” began - when single people are grabbed, beaten and put in a car gut. And I decided that there was enough night stocks from me, I will make a useful day. It became scary, because many have nerves from riot police - they begin to shoot just like that. Now in the afternoon there are spontaneous actions - chains of solidarity. OMON behaves more calmly on them than at night. As if at night a beast is instilled in them.

Now the most important thing is to help as much as possible, to buy medicines, to put leaflets. Many do not have Internet access, and people watch [state television channel] ONT, where we are exposed with drunk and stained criminals who want to deprive Belarus of independence and prosperity. It is necessary not to give a common spirit of rebellion to naught. We believe that the forces of the riot police are coming to an end.

I was born when Lukashenko was in power. The country with great opportunities, talented people simply rolls nowhere - quietly and peacefully.

When you see what taxes are going on, you want change. Do you want your country to develop normally. And these statements of the president about the people, about women-vinomatics -this began to hurt everyone, even those who believed: "And who besides him?"

We want the country to have a new president. Lukashenko’s statements are humiliating in relation to everyone. And the protests themselves do not have the main call, which is trying to direct the crowd in one direction. Говорят, что блогер из Польши руководит нами, но он не руководит и не приказывает, это просто большая доска объявлений.

Наш президент уже называет нас овцами. Это все витает в воздухе. Когда сейчас отключают интернет, мы думаем: «Нет интернета, мы выходим на улицу».

Recorded Alexander Sivtsova