Raman Kisliak: People Take To Streets Beacause They Are Driven To Despair

People have been protesting in the center of Brest on for more than a year.

More than 200 opponents of the battery factory gathered in the main square of Brest to feed the pigeons and remind the authorities once again: they still disagree. The rallies have been held for almost a year – at the same place. Brest residents are not afraid of detention and pressure, and politicians from Minsk are coming to support them, Belsat reports.

“We come here, trying to convey information that there are violations, violations and violations. We re-send information even on the violations that they already know about, to pay attention to them,” – activist Yuliya Zubik says.

There has been rain and snow, detentions and hindrances. There have been 31 applications for an official rally – and only one permit. Despite this, Brest residents continue to protest. But they no longer stand still – the latest meetings were marked by a procession.

“The Directorate-General for State Environmental Review gave a negative conclusion about the project. That is, Ahramashdzetal and others who assessed the impact on the environment all had fake documents. Why? Because not a single person took part in that,” – community activist Fiodar Petrusevich says.

A feature of today's rally was the participation of center-right coalition leaders.

“As long as people do not go out en masse and say that they are not satisfied with something in Belarus, nothing will ever change. We are together with those people who are not afraid, who are always ready to come, to support,” – Yury Hubarevich, a representative of the For Freedom! movement, says.

Today, there have been no detentions, but on the eve, allegedly for participating in the last rally, human rights activist Uladzimir Vialchkin and activist Vital Kazak were sent to prison. Blogger Aliaksandr Kabanau was detained for the time of today's rally.

“The authorities, the police detain, so that there are no processions, rallies, and open protest. People take to the streets because they are driven to despair – they are not heard. The plant is almost completed, the first trial launch has been already planned,” – human rights activist Raman Kisliak says.

While the detained activists are awaiting trial, the potentially dangerous battery factory is approaching the start. According to the plans, it will begin its work in the third quarter of this year.