May Day: Failure to gather people? (Photo)
- 3.05.2010, 13:05
A demonstration organized by the pro-governmental Federation of Trade Unions of Belarus attracted the smallest number of people over the recent years.
Actions on occasion of the international labour day were held in Belarus on May 1. Representatives of official trade unions and democratic forces held separate actions.
The pro-governmental Federation of Trade Unions of Belarus organized a meeting near the National Library, which attracted only 1000 people. They adopted a resolution expressing “support to Alyaksandr Lukashenka” and criticizing prime minister Syarhei Sidorski, who “fails to fulfill orders of the head of state”, Radio Svaboda reports.
Drinking beer allowed at pro-governmental meeting
The riot militia in Brest blocked the road for a peaceful rally of the Belarusian Social Democratic Party (Hramada), the Party “Fair World” and independent trade unions. Opposition activist Ihar Maslouski said the rights of the demonstrators had been violated:
“We marched about 100 meters and were stopped by the militia, then, after 300 meters, we were stopped by the riot militia. We had to remove the party flags. Nevertheless, we continued the rally. We walked to the intersection of Lenin and Gogol Streets, where riot militiamen blocked the way in order we couldn’t go to the central square. It took us 40 minutes to walk around to the central park. We weren’t allowed to enter the park, carry symbols and flags. We gave flags to children, but militiamen snatched them from their hands,” the oppositionist said.
The independent trade union of miners held a 300-person demonstration in Salihorsk. Leader of democratic trade unions of Belarus Alyaksandr Yarashuk was invited to the meeting.
“Salihorsk is a republic of freedom. The independent trade union of minors has 4700 members. This is an event organized by workers. This is not an official holiday, the authorities have just wormed into the holiday. The main thing is that the event and holiday is free from official ideology,” Yarashuk said.
National bolshviks held a small rally carrying portraits of Vladimir Lenin and Joseph Stalin.
The opposition communists, the Fair World party, didn’t hold an action in Minsk. “We know from our experience that the authorities don’t give permission necessary to organize a demonstration,” party’s secretary Syarhei Vaznyak said.