Epic Failure of Lukashenka That Triggered His Collapse
- 16.02.2021, 14:59
The psychological state of the dictator is broken.
The recently held "cockroach meeting" demonstrated Lukashenka's psychological state. Apart from other things, the ruler showed how one particular mistake of last August haunted him, says Salidarnasts.
Shots that struck the country and the world
August 23, one of the largest marches in the history of the country reached the Palace of Independence, where it faced a cordon of security forces. Peaceful protesters did not confront them and turned back after a while. In the evening, Belarus and the world could see the video footage, which became a part of history.
They showed Lukashenka with an assault rifle and wearing a bulletproof vest who flew in a helicopter to the residence. His 15-year-old son Mikalai was walking with him, also wearing a bulletproof vest and holding a gun.
A little later, the governor went outside the cordon and thanked the security forces guarding him. Few of the protesters remained there at that moment.
Reaction and Repercussions
It became clear almost immediately that Lukashenka had suffered an image disaster. Everything was clear with the attitude of the people to the ruler who used violence in the streets of the Belarusian cities to retain power. But there was not yet a vivid image to illustrate this attitude. Lukashenka created it.
Once he appeared with an assault rifle on social networks, the ruler became the hero of countless memes. Inside and outside the country, people relished the absurdity of his behaviour against the background of a peaceful and unarmed protest. They noticed the absence of a gun magazine when Lukashenka stepped out of the helicopter.
Even the Russian TV channels made jokes about the image of the Belarusian ruler. Evening Urgant show opened the new season with a parody of Lukashenka and his son.
Political analysts in the country and the world were practically unanimous: the ruler hammered the last nail in the coffin of his image, showing that he had to fend off the people.
Curiously enough, no one could stop the ruler from committing an image disaster, neither on August 23 nor a week later on August 30, when Natallia Eismont showed journalists another picture of Lukashenka with an assault rifle.
Lukashenka realized he had made a mistake. It makes him nervous.
The governor began to justify himself almost immediately.
- You start criticizing me for running around with an assault rifle in the streets and readiness to shoot my people. Look, I've never pointed at the people for a quarter of a century, let alone shoot them," Lukashenka said in late August.
In September, the ruler explained to Russian journalists his behaviour as follows:
- I had to come regardless of whether protesters dispersed or not -and thank those guys (security forces) who stood in line and behaved with dignity. But the main thing is that I'm not a coward and I'm not afraid. I haven't run anywhere, and I'm not going to, as well as my children.
That mistake still makes Lukashenka nervous. Even without priming questions, he keeps on making excuses. At the "All-Belarusian People's Assembly," the ruler said:
- The time will come, you'll elect a new Lukashenka or someone else. There are many talented people among us. However, is it only because someone does not like him? That he's running around with an assault rifle, you see, he should be overthrown.
However, no words seem to be enough to erase the image that's left in people's minds.