As 100,000 marched in Belarus capital, Lukashenko armed himself with a Kalashnikov
- President totes a rifle and wears a bulletproof vest as gets off a helicopter that landed at his residence while demonstrators massed nearby
- Protests started August 9 after an election that officials say handed the 65-year-old Lukashenko his sixth term
While more than 100,000 demonstrators joined a Sunday rally against Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, the embattled leader was digging in at the presidential palace with a machine gun and a bulletproof vest.
Two weeks after a disputed election returned him to power, protesters returned to the streets in historic numbers for a second weekend, shouting “Uchodi!” – “Get out!” on Independence Square in the capital Minsk in defiance of threats from the state.
Meanwhile state media showed footage of the president armed with a Kalashnikov submachine gun and bullet proof vest condemning the “rats” outside his official residence.
The presidential palace has increasingly taken the role of a fortress and was surrounded by armoured cars and security forces to stop protesters from storming the palace.
“We'll stand by your side until the end,” security forces chanted when the president visited the palace gates. “Thank you, you're great guys,” he told the forces standing guard.