Nationwide Strike Begins in Belarus with Participation of Industrial Giants' Employees

A nationwide strike has begun in Belarus, which protesters had "promised" to carry out the day before, as reported by the NEXTA Live Telegram channel.

Published videos and photos show that employees from various enterprises across Belarus did not go to work and instead gathered for protest demonstrations. In particular, employees from the Belarusian Automobile Plant (BelAZ), the potash fertilizer producer Belaruskali, the Minsk Tractor Works, Belkart, and other major factories have joined the strike.

According to the Tut.by website, they are demanding an end to the violence against protesters by security forces, accountability for those responsible, annulment of the presidential election results, holding new elections, and the release of all political prisoners.

As previously reported, the day before, the largest protest in modern Belarusian history was held in Minsk. Estimates from Tut.by suggest that at least 200,000 citizens took to the streets to raise their voices.

Sparking continuous protests since the presidential elections on August 9, the participants express their dissatisfaction with the election results, which declared the current president Alexander Lukashenko as the winner with 80 percent of the vote.