As protests erupted in Belarus, with tens of thousands of people gathering for a demonstration in the national capital Minsk ahead of talks between strongman Alexander Lukashenko and Russia’s Vladimir Putin, Belarus police detained at least 250 protesters.
“Some 250 people were detained in various districts of the capital,” the interior ministry said in a statement, adding those arrested were carrying flags and “offensive” placards, according to sources.
#BREAKING At least 100,000 protesters gather in #Belarus capital, police detain 250 people pic.twitter.com/QYv5bwCIiw
— Guy Elster (@guyelster) September 13, 2020
“Soldiers rounded us up in several circles, people were selectively pulled out of the crowd and beaten,” one unidentified demonstrator told Reuters news agency, according to Al Jazeera.
It was also reported that Security forces dressed in riot gear used barbed wire to seal off the central square in the capital and the Independence square.
