Kurapaty Defenders Are Blocking Let's Go Get Some Eats! Restaurant (Video, Online)

The protest rally is taking place near the gates of the restaurant.

Today at 15.00, the scandalous Let's Go Get Some Eats! restaurant is to be opened at the Kurapaty tract near Minsk.

Several dozen activists have blocked the road near the restaurant and the entrance to the venue.

One of the leaders of the BCD Pavel Seviarynets, famous activist and director Volha Nikalaichyk, European Belarus activist Leanid Kulakou and about two dozen people are participating in the event.

The protesters are chanting "Shame!", "Not a Restaurant, But a Museum!", "Long Live Belarus!".

The activists are not letting pass cars with food to the restaurant, blocking them well short of the gate. Every now and again, the restaurant administration picks a fight with the protesters, attempts to wash off the protest inscriptions from the gate, removes the posters.

Activists wrote on the asphalt "No Restaurant On the Bones!", but restaurant employees washed the inscription away.

Charter97.org reports live event online. The video has been provided by Belsat and Radio Svaboda.

16.40 The campaign will continue tomorrow at 12.00. Thank you for being with us!

16.38 Journalists decide to stop the broadcast because of the thunderstorm.

16.37 Activists decide that some of them, including Pavel Seviarynets, will stay, despite the thunderstorm. Pavel Seviarynets: "16 years ago, activists were standing 8.5 months in any weather."

16.35 A strong thunderstorm approaches Kurapaty.

16.23 The driver gets out of the car and directs steps to the restaurant, the protesters shout "Shame!"

16.20 Another car arrives, which honks the horn and tries to enter the gate. People block the car. The police approach the protesters and demand to let the car in and move off the roadway. Pavel Seviarynets responds that the construction is illegal and therefore there is no roadway.

16.19 Pavel Seviarynets: "The restaurant was ready for opening, the waiters were dressed in a parade uniform, but we headed off at the pass. They behave aggressively, believe that they can drive cars over people. They think that it's all up to money. But we have demonstrated that this is not true. The rally will continue."

16.10 Leanid Kulakou: "This driver was driving at full speed and hit me. I fell on the hood, then he back up, and I fell to the ground."

16.09 Activists call traffic police and are going to write a complaint about the actions of the aggressive driver. It turns out that he hit people with the car.

16.08 The driver gets out of the car, takes out an electric drill from the trunk and goes to the gate of the restaurant. The man is aggressive. When a journalist asks "what is your name," he answers: "Call me master!"

16.05 The driver does not leave and honks his horn in front of the human chain of activists.

16.03 Another car drives up. The driver does not slow down and stops in a few centimeters from Pavel Sevirynets, nearly knocking down the politician.

15.55 Pavel Seviarynets calls on the protesters to stay until 6 pm, until the end of the working day, and to come and defend Kurapaty every day. "After a few days of blocking, the restaurant will understand that it can go bankrupt," – the politician says.

15.43 The supplier takes back his products from the restaurant, shakes hands with Leanid Kulakou and leaves in an unknown direction.

15.39 Restaurant employee Dzmitry approaches the car and begins to carry vegetables and fruits in the restaurant. Protesters chant "Shame!".

15.37 A car with zucchini arrives to the restaurant, it is immediately blocked.

15.35 The traffic police officers ask the protesters to get off the roadway. The protesters refuse. As a result, the officers suggest activists to sidestep, but the human chain stands up again, when some more cars appear on the road to the restaurant.

15.30 Seviarynets is confident that the police will not disperse the protesters. "No one wants to be considered a traitor for the rest of his life. Therefore, those, who disperse rallies, they hide in bushes, and try to get in wrong the traffic police."

15.28 A police car drives up. Pavel Seviarynets talks to the police.

15.23 Restaurant employee Dmitry, who has previously tried to drive the protesters away, moves out of the gate to the car.

15.20 Another car with food arrives to the restaurant, the activists do not let it in and chant "Shame!"

15.19 Volha Nikalaichyk: "This red-brown government power would like to cover all our land with such restaurants, but we will not allow it."

15.15 Activists chant "Not a Restaurant, But a Museum!"

15.14 The food delivering car, blocked by activists, turns around and leaves.

15.12 Leanid Kulakou tells the tale of how a van drove up and a common driver handed over food products to Kurapaty defenders and said: "Thank you. Stand to the end here. We are with you."

15.00 The blocked car continues to stand near the restaurant. Activists chant "Authorities, Wise Up."