Dzmitry Kazlou: We Use Opportunity To Rattle Up Belarusians

The European Belarus activist reported on how common Vorsha residents were reacting to pickets to collect signatures.

Video blogger Dzmitry Kazlou, who takes part in the "parliamentary campaign" at the Vorsha constituency № 25, told the press service of the European Belarus civil campaign about the results of the first month of the campaign:

- The collection of signatures went well, I would say from the start. I remember the first picket to collect signatures. It was Tuesday, September 10. As soon as I unfurled the flags, a guy immediately came up, took out his passport and signed for me. He said he was glad to see the national symbols in Vorsha. Then I realized that everything would go well, it was a good sign.

Every day, the interest for our pickets to collect signatures increased. Every day the number of signatures increased. Often people who didn't have their passports with them would come back to support me and sign.

Our campaign, regardless of its further outcome, has already yielded positive results. For instance, after the pickets in Vorsha, people started to recognize me. Especially the minibus drivers, who daily laid their route through the places where we were collecting signatures. They were driving specially to the picket place. After that, the drivers, when they recognized me, asked about the results and wished me luck. The recognition of my video blog has also increased, especially among the town residents. Some people, when they found out that I was running my blog, said that they would watch it first, and then think about signing. And many of them came back with passports, and became subscribers of the channel.

I got experience from the campaign. I made some observations. For example, when I was visiting apartments and collecting signatures, I noticed that many people, especially pensioners, were watching TV and there were Russian propaganda programs on. It is a clear example of how the Lukashenka regime imposes the ideology of others on the Belarusians.

I just want to wish good luck to all those who participate in this parliamentary campaign throughout Belarus. In fact, it's a very painstaking task, it's a huge waste of time, effort and health. And it is done for a reason. We have already managed to use the opportunity to communicate with people, to rattle up the people and find a lot of our supporters. There is a whole month of hard and interesting work ahead. I am sure that we will be able to do even more.