Police use water cannon as thousands rally in Minsk

MOSCOW: Tens of thousands of people marched through the centre of the Belarusian capital Minsk on Sunday to demand that authorities free political prisoners, prompting police to turn water cannon on them.

The crowd, waving white flags with a red stripe, marched to the beat of drums towards detention centres where political prisoners were believed to be held, according to pictures and videos posted on social media.

Belarusian police have used water cannon mounted on armoured police vehicles to disperse protesters and detained scores of protesters.

Armed policemen in black helmets holding batons cordoned off streets in central Minsk.

Mobile internet in Minsk was down from around midday and telegram channels, the main means of communication and distribution of photos and videos from the protests, asked residents of Minsk to unlock their Wi-fi networks if protesters march nearby.

The top opposition Telegram channel, Nexta Live, which has coordinated protesters and has more than two million subscribers, said that authorities have opened more than 250 criminal cases against Lukashenko’s would-be rivals, activists, bloggers and ordinary Belarusians.

“The authorities have taken these people hostage,” it said. “We have not forgoten them and demand freedom for all political prisoners!” According to the Viasna rights group, there are now 77 “political prisoners” in Belarus including opposition blogger Sergei Tikhanovsky, who was not allowed to run for president, and opposition leader Maria Kolesnikova, who ripped up her passport to prevent authorities from deporting her.

Also on the list is Belarusian-us strategist Vitali Shkliarov, who has worked on US Senator Bernie Sanders’s presidential campaign and advised the Russian opposition. He was arrested in late July as he arrived to see his elderly parents.

The march crowned a series of rallies in Belarus since an Aug.9 election in which President Alexander Lukashenko claimed a landslide victory. His opponents say it was rigged to hand him a sixth term in power.