Belarusian police used stun grenades to disperse protesters Sunday after months of demonstrations in which protesters threatened a nationwide strike if longtime President Lukashenko did not resign by midnight.
News reports said more than 100,000 protesters were on the streets of Minsk on Sunday, the 11th consecutive demonstration against Lukashenko’s controversial victory in August’s presidential election.
Video released by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty showed police using stun grenades and rubber bullets to disperse the crowd as it marched. The marchers carried white and red flags symbolizing the opposition movement and marched to the capital’s Independence Palace.
Opposition leader Tsvatana Zikhanuskaya, who has fled the country for her own safety since August’s elections, called for a nationwide strike if Lukashenko does not resign by midnight.
Lukashenko has said he will ignore the ultimatum.
At least two people were injured by police during Sunday’s protests, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported. The Belarusian Vesna human rights organization says 60 people were arrested.
Lukashenko insists that he won the election by a landslide, receiving 80 percent of all votes, despite widespread claims at home and abroad that the election was heavily rigged to keep him in power. He has been in power for 26 years.
The crackdown comes amid growing public anger in the wake of protests that have resulted in more than 7,500 arrests and police violence against demonstrators.
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