Police Forces and Special Equipment Accumulate in Central Minsk

In anticipation of another opposition rally, police forces and special equipment have accumulated in the center of Minsk this morning. Earlier, opposition Telegram channels called on citizens in Minsk and other cities in Belarus to participate in mass events that were not coordinated or authorized by the authorities, dubbed the "March for Freedom." In recent weeks, opposition rallies had been conducted in a so-called "courtyard" format, with participants trying to avoid arrests.

This time, ahead of the rally's start in central Minsk, security measures have been significantly strengthened. Water cannons and vehicles with barbed wire, as well as police buses, have been parked near the Officers' House close to Oktyabrskaya Square.

Mass protests by the opposition began in Belarus on August 9, following presidential elections in which Alexander Lukashenko claimed victory for the sixth time. The opposition believes that Svetlana Tikhanovskaya won the elections.