© AFP / Stringer
Law enforcement officers detain an opposition supporter during a rally to protest against the Belarus presidential election results in Minsk, on November 15, 2020.
Tens of thousands of people again took to the streets of cities across Belarus on Sunday, as post election protests continue. This weekend saw heightened tensions following the alleged killing of an opposition activist by police.
Demonstrators in the capital Minsk clashed with OMON, the country's specialist riot squad, and members of the military who were deployed by authorities in an attempt to stymie the rallies, footage from the scene showed. Security forces used flash grenades to disperse crowds, according to local media. Plumes of tear gas rose into the sky as columns of marchers headed for the center of the city.
At least 500 people were reportedly detained across Belarus on Sunday, according to observers from Viasna, which is funded by a London-based Belarusian businessman though not registered with authorities in Minsk. While the majority were arrested in the capital, others were reportedly picked up by officers in Brest and Molodechno, as well as Vitebsk, Gomel, Grodno and other regions.
Comment: Shane Trejo is another witness whose account was recorded. He says he say drivers bringing in 50 boxes of 'absentee ballots' into the Detroit TCF Center after the deadline (he took down their license plate numbers). According to another witness, former state senator Pat Colbeck, it was 61 boxes.