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Crisis in Belarus

Belarus wraps up operation on forcing protesters out of Minsk streets

The Interior Ministry’s special units have started leaving the central squares in the Belarusian capital

MINSK, August 11. /TASS/. The Belarusian law enforcement agencies are lifting the cordon in downtown Minsk, a TASS correspondent reported from the spot on Tuesday.

After the seven-hour-long clashes with protesters, police managed to squeeze them from the streets. The Interior Ministry’s special units have started leaving the central squares in the Belarusian capital.

One of the latest hotbeds of clashes was the Kuntsevschina district, where the protesters had set up barricades out of concrete piles and metal mountings, blocking Pritytsky Avenue. One protester was killed there earlier. According to the Interior Ministry’s press service, he "tried to throw an unidentified explosive device at the law enforcement officers, but it exploded in his hand and the man received fatal wounds."

On August 9, Belarus held its sixth presidential election since declaring independence in 1991. According to the country’s Central Election Commission, incumbent President Alexander Lukashenko won 80.08% of votes. His closest rival, housewife Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, scored 10.09% of votes. The other three candidates managed to win less that to percent each.

After the exit poll results were announced on Sunday night, mass protests flared up in downtown Minsk and other Belarusian cities, which spiraled into clashes with police. According to the Interior Ministry, some 3,000 people were detained and dozens of police and protesters were injured.

On Monday evening the protests resumed. The protesters tried to gather in downtown Minsk and after the law enforcement officers dispersed the crowd, the groups of demonstrators started moving to other areas in the city and setting up barricades out of garbage bins.

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