BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS
DATE:
20/12/2010
Belarus opposition tries to storm government building
Several thousand Opposition activists are trying to storm the Belarus government building in protest of Sunday's presidential election.
Opposition protests results of exit polls showing that Incumbent President Alexander Lukashenko is set to secure a landslide victory with more than 76% of the vote while four of his nine rivals won slightly over 3% each.
The opposition said it already had evidence of vote-rigging and called on its supporters to meet at October Square after the polls were over and to demand holding new elections without Lukashenko.
Protesters broke through a police cordon who attempted to prevent them from heading to the Independence Square. They were chanting slogans "Go away" and "Shame" for Lukashenko.
Activists tried to storm the Belarus government's building and broke several windows. They took shields and batons from police. After that Belarus special police units forced them several meters away of the building.
The government building houses the Council of ministers, the lower house of parliament and the Central Election Commission. Opposition said it plans to take the government and demanded the arrival of ministers.
Earlier on Sunday, two presidential candidates, Nikolai Statkevich and Vladimir Neklyaev, claimed they had been attacked by the Belarusian special forces while heading for the rally.
The Belarus Interior Ministry dismissed the claims saying the alleged attack was a provocation invented by the opposition. Deputy ministry head Oleg Pekarsky said three police officers were injured in the clash.
MINSK, December 19 (RIA Novosti)
Source:
http://en.rian.ru/exsoviet/20101220/161847074.html
Archive
Subscribe Daily Newsletter:
