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Crisis in Belarus

Minsk police register several hundred complaints against protesters in 24 hours

The country's Interior Ministry reported that the protesters’ actions prevent people from getting to work on time, obstruct public transport and block the passage of emergency and utilities’ vehicles

MINSK, September 24. /TASS/. Hundreds of Minsk residents contacted the police over the past 24 hours, complaining against participants in the unauthorized protests, the Belarusian Ministry of the Interior announced Thursday.

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"Minsk residents have been actively calling the 102 phone number, complaining about actions of the unauthorized mass events participants. Over the past 24 hours alone, several hundred people have contacted the Minsk militsiya [police force]," the Ministry said in a statement published on its website.

The Ministry reported that the protesters’ actions prevent people from getting to work on time, obstruct public transport and block the passage of emergency and utilities’ vehicles.

"No 102 call will be left without attention. The militsiya will continue responding to violations," the Ministry added.

On Wednesday, Belarusian state media reported that Alexander Lukashenko had been inaugurated at Independence Palace in Minsk. That evening, protesters took to the streets. According to the Ministry of the Interior, about 3,000 took part in the protests while 252 were apprehended for violation of the law on mass events.

Nationwide demonstrations have engulfed Belarus following the August 9 presidential election. According to the Central Election Commission’s official results, incumbent President Alexander Lukashenko won by a landslide, garnering 80.10% of the vote. His closest rival in the race, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, came in second, with 10.12% of the ballot. However, she refused to recognize the election’s outcome, and left Belarus for Lithuania. After the results of the exit polls were announced late on August 9, mass protests erupted in downtown Minsk and other Belarusian cities. During the early post-election period, the rallies snowballed into fierce clashes between the protesters and police. The current unrest is being cheered on by the opposition’s Coordination Council, which has been beating the drum for more protests. In response, the Belarusian authorities have castigated the ongoing turmoil and demanded that these unauthorized demonstrations be stopped.

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