MINSK, August 23. /TASS/. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko came out of his residence in Minsk, the Independence Palace, and thanked the law enforcers protecting the building, BelTA news agency said on Sunday.

"Thank you! You are great!," he said to hear "We will be with you till the end" in response.

Later, Lukashenko’s press secretary Natalia Eismont said in an interview with the ONT television channel that the president had been working at his residence throughout the whole day, controlling the situation amid the opposition protests. He flew over the city aboard a helicopter and came out to "those who protected the building" to thank them, she said.

Earlier in the day, protesters came up to the president’s residence but were stopped by riot police. The demonstrators opted not to come close to the law enforcers and stopped several meters off them chanting "Go Away!" slogans. Later, most of the protesters marched back to the center of the city.