In Belarus, hundreds were arrested amid protests against the country’s now-notorious authoritarian leader, Alexander Lukashenko. For the 10th consecutive Sunday, tens of thousands of protestors gathered in the capital city of Minsk, demanding that the presidential elections be re-held due to rumors of the vote being rigged in favor of Lukashenko, who has ruled the country for 26 years. A human rights organization estimated that roughly 100,00 people showed up to protest this past Sunday, and were met with violence on behalf of the police.
Dozens were injured after security forces attempted to disperse protestors using water cannons, stun grenades, and truncheons. By Sunday evening, it was reported that more than 300 protestors had been arrested as a result of violence during the protests. The mast protests have been occurring for months, with the largest ones held on Sundays and drawing hundreds of thousands of people. In the first days of protests immediately after the election, protestors were countered with brutal techniques that caused dozens of injuries, but law enforcement has since taken to more peaceful methods, up until yesterday.
Read More: Scores detained during protests in Belarus
