MINSK, August 18. /TASS/. Thousands of protestors gathered at the Independence Square in downtown Minsk on Tuesday evening, a TASS correspondent reported.
The rally of those who disagreed with the results of the recent presidential election and the subsequent crackdown on protests began at about 19:00 local time. Participants carry red-white flags and banners and chant their traditional slogans.
The rally is largely similar to those taking place in past days. However, several EU flags can be seen in the crowd. According to a TASS correspondent, the number of EU citizens who booked rooms in hotels near the Independence Square increased in the past two days.
The situation is largely calm, with no conflicts or clashes reported. Traffic police address the crowd from time to time, asking people not to impede the traffic along the adjacent Independence Avenue.
On August 9, Belarus held its sixth presidential election since declaring independence in 1991. According to the final results of Sunday’s voting, the incumbent president, Alexander Lukashenko, won 80.08% of the vote. His closest rival, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, scored 10.09% of votes. However, she did not recognize the results of the voting.
Mass protests and clashes with police took place in Minsk and other Belarusian cities on Sunday night into Monday morning after exit poll results were made public. As a result, several thousands of people were detained, dozens of law enforcers and demonstrators were injured. Rallies have been continued ever since.