On Sunday, tens of thousands of Belarusians gathered in the capital city of Minsk to protest the results of a recent election that kept President Alexander Lukashenko in power. The protests have been ongoing for roughly five weeks, as demonstrators call for the authoritarian leader to resign. Belarus’s opposition party has claimed that the results of the election were skewed and unjust, demanding a fair election.
The protests are unprecedented in Belarus, which has been under Lukashenko’s rule since 1994. Protests occurred in other major cities throughout the country, however, the demonstration in Minsk attracted a massive crowd. The election resulted in Lukashenko receiving 80% of the vote, leading him to victory in achieving a sixth term in office. Lukashenko has denied all claims of an unfair election or interference. On Sunday, dozens of protestors were arrested in Minsk and Grodno although the gatherings have avoided clashes with security forces since the first week when 7,000 were arrested and hundreds more were beaten by law enforcement.
Read More: 100,000 march in Minsk to demand Belarus leader resigns
