Authorities ban Freedom Day concert in central Minsk

The Minsk City Executive Committee has refiused to allow the Freedom Day concert in the center of Minsk, Eduard Palchys, one of the activists on the 101BNR organizing committee, wrote in his Telegram channel.

“Basically, the government has finally refused to let us use any of the proper venues to celebrate Freedom Day. But this is not a reason to get upset, we were ready for this scenario. Let them celebrate 100 years of BSSR in the Bangalore Square, while we will go to celebrate 101 years of Belarusian National Repubblic in Hrodna!” he wrote.

After Lukashenka ruled out the Dynamo stadium as an option, Palchys and the head of Art Siadziba Pavel Belavus asked for permission to hold a gala concert on the 101st anniversary of the independence of BNR at or near the Palace of Sports, or near the Opera Theater. Now it is known that the officials rejected the both options.

One can assume that the ban was influenced by the position of Alyaksandr Lukashenka who said during a big press conference on 1 March that the celebration of Freedom Day could be possible only on the remote Bangalore Square.

Meanwhile, the Hrodna authorities allowed a celebratory Freedom Day rally and a concert on 23 March. It will begin at 13:00 in Kalozhsky Park.