Belarus protests: 150 detained as tens of thousands rally in Minsk against President Alexander Lukashenko
- Many peaceful protesters were beaten by police and dragged into minibuses right at the outset of the demonstration
- Several journalists were taken into police custody before the protests, to ‘check their documents’, officials said
Belarusian police detained numerous protesters on Sunday during demonstrations against President Alexander Lukashenko in Minsk, in what observers called the most violent crackdown seen in weeks.
Many peaceful protesters were beaten by police and dragged into minibuses right at the outset of the demonstration.
Some 150 people, including 20 journalists, were detained in the afternoon, according to the human rights organisation Viasna. Police also deployed water cannon, stun grenades and tear gas, news website tut.by reported.
Prison transporters were seen on the roadsides, as well as military vehicles. Photographs and videos shared online showed large groups of people heading towards the centre of Minsk.
Black-clad security forces hit demonstrators and carried them to small buses. Some were pinned to the ground by masked police, while others, injured with bandaged heads, could be seen sitting on the ground, according to photographs shared on the Telegram messaging app.
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Many journalists were taken into police custody before the protests, according to Belarusian media. This was to check their documents, officials said.