A family protest for Belarusian school (Photo)
- 3.09.2010, 10:50
On September 2 Professor Alyaksandr Astrouski, his wife Axana and their children came to Lenin Square in Hrodna, unfurling posters with texts in front of the windows of the city executive committee.
Their children, Yanka and Sveta, were holding a poster: “We want to study in Belarusian”, and Astrouski: “Ethnocide is a silent extermination of the nation”. A journalist Uladzimir Khilmanovich joined them. He said: “There is not a single class with Belarusian language of instruction in Hrodna region! What kind of country it is?”
Alyaksandr Astrouski explained that they have written an application to school number 32, for their daughter Sveta to study in the first grade with Belarusian language of instruction. However their application was ignored, that is why Astrouski’s family staged the protest. Sveta said: “I love Belarusian language and I want to study in Belarusian”.
As informed by Radio Svaboda, Professor of Hrodna Medical University Alyaksandr Astrouski and a journalist Uladzimir Khilmanovich who staged a picket in front of Hrodna city executive committee, were detained by policemen and taken to the police department in Haradnichanskaya Street. They were asked to provide explanations there, and a report of posters’ seizure was drawn up. Then Astrouski’s wife Axana and children, Sveta, Yanka and 2-year-old Vasil, where taken to the police department.
As said by Axana Astrouskaya, a policeman asked questions: who had been an initiator of the picket, who wrote posters, what was the reason of the rally on Lenin Square? In her turn, she demanded to write down the evidence in Belarusian, and the policeman agreed.
Alyaksandr Astrouski notes that first they were invited to the city executive committee to deputy chairperson Iryna Senchankova, and they had a constructive talk, about a possibility to open the first class with Belarusian language of instruction. However, he said that if that would not be done, he would take away his girl from school and hire a tutor. He was surprised that after such a conversation 5 policemen had been waiting for him.
Astrouski says that the policeman asked why they had not filed an application for the picket 15 days ago. But parents had a hope that their daughter would be offered education in Belarusian. However on September 1 they found out that their hopes were futile. As said by him, the policeman said that the law had been violated, and summons could be issued to him.