٠٠:٠٢:٣٥Hundreds of women took part in rallies against violence in Minsk and Brest on Thursday expressing their support for the protesters detained during unauthorised protests in Belarus.
Footage shows women, most of them dressed in white, holding flowers while forming a human chain.
"As our fellow citizens, men were detained, beaten, we took the opportunity to address the authorities and police forces with the help of this peaceful rally aimed at stopping the violence. Therefore, the idea was, we dressed in white which symbolises purity, freedom, [we wanted] to show that we have no weapons and we ask them literally to be merciful," said Anna Zlatkovskaya, one of the organisers of the solidarity rally.
Mass protests against Belarusian president have been taking place across the country since Sunday. The Interior Ministry says around 6,000 people have been detained and one protester has died during the demonstrations.
Incumbent leader Lukashenko, who has been in power in Belarus since 1994, won the August 9 election with more than 80 percent of the ballots, according to the country’s Central Election Commission. His closest opponent Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, the wife of jailed Belarusian opposition figure and blogger Sergei Tikhanovsky, received just over 10 percent of the vote. She has since left the country for Lithuania.
Belarus: Women continue rallies against post-election violence in major cities
Hundreds of women took part in rallies against violence in Minsk and Brest on Thursday expressing their support for the protesters detained during unauthorised protests in Belarus.
Footage shows women, most of them dressed in white, holding flowers while forming a human chain.
"As our fellow citizens, men were detained, beaten, we took the opportunity to address the authorities and police forces with the help of this peaceful rally aimed at stopping the violence. Therefore, the idea was, we dressed in white which symbolises purity, freedom, [we wanted] to show that we have no weapons and we ask them literally to be merciful," said Anna Zlatkovskaya, one of the organisers of the solidarity rally.
Mass protests against Belarusian president have been taking place across the country since Sunday. The Interior Ministry says around 6,000 people have been detained and one protester has died during the demonstrations.
Incumbent leader Lukashenko, who has been in power in Belarus since 1994, won the August 9 election with more than 80 percent of the ballots, according to the country’s Central Election Commission. His closest opponent Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, the wife of jailed Belarusian opposition figure and blogger Sergei Tikhanovsky, received just over 10 percent of the vote. She has since left the country for Lithuania.
Hundreds of women took part in rallies against violence in Minsk and Brest on Thursday expressing their support for the protesters detained during unauthorised protests in Belarus.
Footage shows women, most of them dressed in white, holding flowers while forming a human chain.
"As our fellow citizens, men were detained, beaten, we took the opportunity to address the authorities and police forces with the help of this peaceful rally aimed at stopping the violence. Therefore, the idea was, we dressed in white which symbolises purity, freedom, [we wanted] to show that we have no weapons and we ask them literally to be merciful," said Anna Zlatkovskaya, one of the organisers of the solidarity rally.
Mass protests against Belarusian president have been taking place across the country since Sunday. The Interior Ministry says around 6,000 people have been detained and one protester has died during the demonstrations.
Incumbent leader Lukashenko, who has been in power in Belarus since 1994, won the August 9 election with more than 80 percent of the ballots, according to the country’s Central Election Commission. His closest opponent Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, the wife of jailed Belarusian opposition figure and blogger Sergei Tikhanovsky, received just over 10 percent of the vote. She has since left the country for Lithuania.