Action against Russian military airbase in Minsk (photo report)

An opposition action against the allocation of a Russian military air base in Belarus was held in Minsk. About 400 people gathered at the meeting. Uladzimir Nyaklyayeu, Anatol Lyabedzka, Mikalai Statkevich, Alyaksei Yanukevich, Ales Marachkin, Vyachaslau Siuchyk, Yuras Huberevich and some other politicians and civil activists made speeches there. Administrative violation reports have been drawn up against all the speakers. They are facing fines now.

Uladzimir Nyaklyayeu suddenly turned the meeting into an assembly for the creation of the Movement for Statehood and Independence. All the present were asked to vote and Nyaklyayeu was unanimously elected leader of the movement. Statkevich supported the movement and joined it as a regular member.

The opposition representatives also suggested writing a resolution against the Russian military base and sending it to the government.

"The allocation of a Russian military base contradicts our Constitution and makes Belarus a target thus threatening Belarusians’ lives,” Nyaklyeyeu read out the assembly’s decision and suggested voting for the resolution. “We demand that the government does not sign the agreement on the allocation of a Russian military base on the territory of our country.”

Mikalai Statkevich urged people to come to the next action on October 10. The agitation campaign protects people from arrests even on October 10 (the last agitation day). “I am thinking about people, I want them to get home safely. That is why we will gather on October 10 instaed of October 11,” Statkevich said.

The action took about an hour and ended with a prayer for Belarus. No detentions have been reported.