The references to “drunken juveniles, hoodlums,” etc., allude to claims by President Lukashenko that only such marginal elements are behind the nationwide popular protests in Belarus. Thanks to many friends on Facebook for the heads-up. // TRR
Learn more about the events in Belarus:
- “Belarus election: Women form ‘solidarity chains’ to condemn crackdown” (BBC, 13 August 2020)
- “Could a Belarus protest movement bring down Lukashenko?” (Guardian podcast, 14 August 2020)
- “Mass Beatings and Detentions in Belarus as President Clings to Power” (New York Times, 13 Augutst 2020)
- Belsat TV (independent Belarusian news in English)
“Video footage shared on social media showed opposition figure Maria Kolesnikova joining the female protesters in Minsk, holding a bunch of flowers.” Courtesy of BBC
The Russian Reader 