“During this week, we have lived many lives,” Maria Kolesnikova, one of the leaders of the Belarusian opposition, said in a video address to supporters on Friday. “For a week, Belarusians have been on an emotional seesaw: pain, fear, rising spirits, apathy, pride, helplessness, hope and happiness.”Life in Belarus has indeed been an emotionally exhausting experience in recent days, as rapid swings in momentum seemingly change the atmosphere overnight. Peaks of adrenaline, when the 26-year regime of Alexander Lukashenko seems to be tottering on the edge of the precipice, quickly give way to troughs of despair. And then the cycle begins again. As the week comes to a close, Minsk still feels like a capital city in revolt, with gatherings of flower-waving women standing defiantly at intersections and the honking of horns by motorists providing a constant aural accompaniment. But there is also a sense of foreboding. Prosecutors questioned opposition leaders on Friday, factory strike leaders have been arrested or interrogated and a recording was leaked of the defence minister telling his generals they should be ready for possible civil war. After protests against his implausible 80% election win were put down with shocking violence earlier this month, Lukashenko has lost the trust of huge swathes of his population. But the signs are that he retains control of the army, KGB and riot police, whose balaclava-clad foot soldiers have again become visible on the streets of Minsk in recent days. Lukashenko said on Friday that the issues of the protests would be “solved” in the coming days, and those readying for more big rallies this weekend were anxiously anticipating a possible crackdown. It was a dramatic change of tone from the beginning of the week, when much of the country was still experiencing a collective high from a vast, cathartic protest on Sunday. The next morning, Lukashenko was heckled during an address to workers at one of the huge Soviet-built factories that still make up a large part of the country’s economy and have long been seen as part of his core support base.“You’ve always supported the president,” he said, a question that was meant rhetorically but was instead met with loud cries of “No!”
All data is taken from the source: https://www.theguardian.com/
Article Link: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/aug/22/belarus-protests-minsk-lukashenko
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