Zmitser Bandarenka: Concert Organizers Must Retaliate Against Mass Arrests on Freedom Day

Minimal sense of decency requires it.

Coordinator of the European Belarus civil campaign and former political prisoner Zmitser Bandarenka told Charter97.org about it when commenting on mass arrests of participants in the celebration of the centenary of the Belarusian People's Republic:

- It was predictable in the country, which is in fact is occupied by Russia. As the dictator said "the centenary of the Belarusian People's Republic (BPR) is not the event to be proud of".

The authorities held operation on the opposition division. Moreover, its principle was meanness and cowardice. This special operation resembles one carried out last year. The only difference is that last year public media held a preliminary mudslinging campaign. We remember the article in Sovetskaya Belorussia and the so-called Frau A. After the mudslinging hundreds of activists and opposition leaders, first of all the leaders of the Belarusian National Congress (BNC), were arrested. The campaign was also carried out before the dispersal of the rally 25 March 2017. This year the authorities' "know-how" is that the mudslinging campaign against opposition leaders and BNC leaders has been implemented through yes-men in so-called independent media. But they pursue the same objective - to cause the negative reaction against true independent leaders in order to arrest them and then to justify the dispersal of festive events on Freedom Day.

Detentions, arrests of representatives of even registered parties in the regions prove that the authorities practice artificial division to cause mayhem. Today's concert reminds me the one in a correctional facility, when all are made come together, and the most dangerous offenders are put in the penalty ward.

I admire the people who have appeared on Yakub Square today. Dozens of brave people openly raised banners and national flags in honour of the centenary of BPR. In this situation, it seems to me, the only thing which can bleach conscience of concert organizers is to express solidarity with dozens or now even hundreds of arrested on the day of the event.

In this situation solidarity with the arrested is needed, and, perhaps, it is needed either to go to the Ministry of internal Affairs or to the Akrestsina prison to demand the release. I think this is the only option which can save the reputation of concert organizers, because dancing on bones amid mass arrests looks, at least, freaking.