Freedom Day is celebrated in Minsk

bbc.com

On March 25 the Belarusian democratic community celebrates the 98th anniversary of announcing the independence of the Belarusian People’s Republic.

An opposition action dated for Freedom Day will be held in Minsk toady. Minsk authorities have allowed people to gather near the cinema Kastrychnik and walk towards the Park of People’s Friendship. A meeting will be held in the park. The itinerary significantly differs from the one the opposition wanted, Euroradio informs.

The decision whether to stick to the authorities’ itinerary will be made by the Freedom Day-2016 organization committee, BPF Party leader Aliaksei Janukevich said. Nevertheless, walking along Surhanava Street is ‘a normal and decent variant’, he believes. The organization committee will not urge people to take part in the meeting in the Park of People’s Friendship, Janukevich stressed.

Ex-political prisoner Mikalai Statkevich has urged citizens to lay flowers to the Yanka Kupala monument and then walk towards the cinema Kastrychnik.

United Civil Party leader Anatoly Liabedzka has urged everyone to wear white-red-whet ribbons at the action.

The Belarusian democratic community celebrates Freedom Day (March 25) every year. The independence of the Belarusian People’s Republic was announced on this day in 1918. This is considered to be the most important date in the Belarusian statehood.