Ideologist: There should be no demonstrations and things like that at all
The number of applications for mass events decreased. Their organizers are "studying the law", while BRYU holds actions under the state's wing.
Since November 27, 2011 it is necessary to obtain permit from the authorities to gather for the smallest picket or flash-mob action. However, a weird thing happened - ideologists of all executive committees say to Euroradio that there have become fewer applications for mass events since the new law came into force!
"There haven't been plenty of them before. And now, frankly speaking, there are none!", - states head of the department for ideological work of Vitsebsk city executive committee Uladzimir Shloma.
"There was one application for conducting a conference on IT-penetration. The participants were programmers who worked both in state and private companies, and people who wanted to learn programming", - says Deputy Head of Salihorsk district executive committee Mikalaj Maskevich.
"I wouldn't say that there have become more applications", - adds head of the ideological department of Mahileu city executive committee Ala Halushka.
The conclusion comes easily: the new law scares away potential organizers of mass events. In the opinion of the Vitsebsk ideologist, this is how it should be:
Uladzimir Shloma: "There should be now demonstrations and things like that at all. If someone wants something let him go and show how to work properly. At the factory!"
No one has applied for a picket or a flash-mob action in Salihorsk within these three months either.
"If they don't apply, they must be feeling something!" - the ideologist thinks.
Euroradio gets surprised: won't there be any patriotic actions from the BRYU? The ideologist assures - they work in accordance with the previously approved plan, and don't need additional permits!
Mikalaj Maskevich: "We have a plan of such events, both the department of working with you and the BRYU. They work with various youth organizations. Such events are conducted by joint forces".
Officials of Mahileu city executive committee say that they had do decline the applications for conducting mass events due to their incorrect form.
"Unfortunately, we come across the situations when applicants file documents without information, which should be included into the application in accordance with the legislation, or without making an agreement with the police and the doctors, — Mahileu ideologist Ala Halushka explains. — I a word, there are cases when someone files an application but doesn't wish to conduct the event in fact".
Euroradio has addressed to the House of Representatives in order to find out whether the MPs expected such results when they adopted the "corrected" law. Decrease of the number of applications for mass events has not become a surprise for MP Anatol Hlaz:
Anatol Hlaz: "I thought that it [number of applications] would go down, and the majority of members of our working group thought so too. At first, the measures of responsibility are very concrete and rather serious. Secondly, amendments to the law require more detailed and careful elaboration of the event. It's not like - I called the people and the event is ready. Thirdly, the organizers are studying the law now."
And the fourth, cold winter is not the most favourable time for street actions. Anatol Hlaz says that MPs intend to collect the statistical data on mass events in order to make sure that the new law works properly and to make amendments if necessary. However, the MP thinks that it is no point doing this before Autumn 2012.
