Belarus police detain hundreds at women's rally against the rule Lukashenko
Belarus police detain hundreds at women's rally against the rule Lukashenko
Police dragged the women into police vans as they stood with linked hands. They were attending the "Sparkly March," demanding embattled president Alexander Lukashenko step down in the wake of controversial elections.
Riot police detained hundreds of women as opposition protesters marched through the Belarusian capital, Minsk, demanding an end to President Alexander Lukashenko’s rule.
About 2,000 women took part in the “Sparkly March”, wearing shiny accessories and carrying the red-and-white flags of the protest movement.
Police blocked the women and began dragging them into police vans as they stood with linked hands, swiftly detaining several hundred, an AFP journalist saw.
The protesters briefly scuffled with police who then blocked their path and started picking people one by one out of the crowd, news agency Reuters reported citing a witness.
Some women stood with linked hands as police began taking people out of the crowd. Some shouted "shame" as police forced protesters into vans, reported the German Press Agency.
Among those detained Saturday was Nina Baginskaya, a 73-year-old activist who has become one of the best-known faces of the protest movement. Police released her outside a police station shortly after.
Ambulances were called after several women became unwell during the detentions.
The opposition is due to hold mass demonstrations on Sunday.