Police cordons mar jazz concert, upset Minskers in downtown square

On June 20, the "Jazz Evening" at Svabody Square was marred by police cordon and police vans. Despite it being the last "jazz" Saturday this year and the star lineup of (Apple Tea and an icon of the British jazz Denys Baptiste) Minskers write angry posts in social networks.

"When I rode today with a friend at the appointed time to the town hall to once again enjoy jazz in the company of the pleasant public, I had the impression that we are coming to some secure site or opposition rally, not less - wrote Andrey Tkachou. - Around the perimeter were installed boards and people were subjected to mandatory search and video shooting. A perfect ghetto for Minsk residents who want to listen to jazz. To complete the picture, a barbed wire and barking shepherds were to be added."

The reason for this "surprise" is found right away: Belarus is visited by Patriarch Kirill, who arrived that evening of June 20 taking part in the liturgy in the Cathedral - exactly next door to the festival. The fact that the cordon has to do with the arrival of the Patriarch is also confirmed by festival organizers. According to Yulia Krutava, from the Idea foundation, the cordon was inevitable condition for the festival not to be transfered to another date. However, Yulia said to Euroradio, the authorities met the festival met the festival organizers halfway:

"Someone looks at the sky, other - on the finger pointing to the sky. Same here. Yes, there were turngates. Yes, it was a bit different than the first Saturday. But someone came to the square to listen to good music, and someone probably discussed the tourniquets. The Patriarch's visit coincided with our festival. But we are grateful to the city authorities, because the service was in the evening and we were not late - the show began just 15 minutes later. We have managed to agree on this point."

However, the turngates did their job - there much fewer people on the third and final evening of June jazz than it was on the first one, when the citizens of Minsk "occupied" all the lawns, benches, walls of buildings and space of the Svaboda Square. Those who did come, enjoyed the beautiful music, but it took them awhile to to forget the "ordeal", which they had to go through at the entrance to the festival. The arrival of the Patriarch is certainly an important event. But this does not mean that all jazz fans are potential terrorists, deserving abuse and control.

Here is what the head of TUT.by Yury Zisser wrote:

"Me and my wife, we were forced to show metal objects for inspection, my wife was asked to open the bag, and metal detector was passed along my torso several times. They just did not force us to take off our shoest. Everyone was searched, including the elderly and women, they did not even try to single out risk groups. When I came back after leaving the "zone" for five minutes to get to the ATM, I was searched again, I was forced to not only empty my pockets and open the package with souvenirs, but to get everything out of it for inspection... After two searches, I spent five minutes recovering, as if I just got out of danger..."

The most read LJ post on June 21 became the one of blogger and photographer Anton Matolka comparing Saturday jazz with silent protests in 2011. He believes the number of uniformed police at the events was very similar. Bloggers ask why the authorities did not think twice before spoiling the best event happening in the city? It is even more surprising, because with no law enforcement around on the first Saturday "No one got in a fight, got drunk, or shouted 'Long live Belarus,' wrote Matolka.

Jazz na Starowce

One of the most popular jazz open-airs called Jazz na Starowce have been taking place on Saturdays in July and August in the Old City, in the center of Warsaw. Residents and visitors of Warsaw bring little benches, mats, fill all the cafes in "Starowka" and listen to jazz -- around 3-4 thousand people every Saturday. There are no turngates or police patrols!

"Any attempt to make something good here lasts only a day. And the other 364 days of the year we can do nothing, sums up Mikita Charkasau the status qou on his Facebook page. - Give People the upper town, and they will hold jazz evenings without BelVEB. Give them the opportunity to create a mood in this fucking city - celebrate when they want to, not when they are told to. But no, you can't... The Svabody Square can only be patroled. The rest can be done strictly on the Minsk City Executive Committee resolution. This cannot be had for the sake of cleanliness and order, that cannot be had in the name of cleanliness and order. So what can be had? And why do we nned a square of this "freedom"? I do not want to go to Vienna for this. And I do not want to go to Vilnius either. I want it here."

Photo by Anton Matolka, www.mmwarszawa.pl