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Crisis in Belarus

Protesters gather on Minsk’s central Independence Square

According to the TASS correspondent, some 2,000 people have gathered on the square

MINSK, August 21. /TASS/. Demonstrators begin to gather on Minsk’s central Independence Square, a traditional venue of opposition rallies in the recent days, a TASS correspondent reported on Friday.

According to the TASS correspondent, some 2,000 people have gathered on the square, Participants are holding posters, singing songs, chanting anti-government slogans and the names of enterprises that are currently on strike.

A part of the adjacent avenue is blocked for motor vehicles. No police are seen around. The situation is calm.

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 80.10% of the vote. His closest rival, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, scored 10.12% of votes.

Mass protests and clashes with police took place in Minsk and other Belarusian cities after exit poll results were made public. As a result, some 6,000 people were detained, dozens of law enforcers and demonstrators were injured during the first days of protests. Rallies have continued for more than a week, with the biggest one held in Minsk on August 16.

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