Belarussian anarchists call for solidarity!

Interview a while back with Belarusian anarchists if you're interested:

http://libcom.org/news/article.php?story=anarchism-belarus-interview-110106

We've placed the appeal in English, Spanish and Czech on the ifa website - www.iaf-ifa.org in the news section.

Heres a pic of a Red and Black flag at the protest

Story on indymedia.ie with some links (some back to libcom!)

http://www.indymedia.ie/article/75079

The Belarus anarchists are way cool. They gave me some of their strange foreign money. About 1,000 of whatever the unit is. It seemed like a lot...

We've just received this from one of our comrades in Belarus:

the first indyvideo about the demonstration's dispersal:

http://belarus.indymedia.org/content/lumpen/3722.wmv

and from 5channel (Ukrainian TV channel):

http://5tv.com.ua/img/forall/no_comments/5kanal_rozgin_minsk.wmv

and some videos from participants of the demonstration:

http://www.bannedgals.com/minsk/25032006.wmv

http://www.bannedgals.com/minsk/onemore.wmv

and here it is video of the tent camp at the night of its liquidaion

by police:

http://belarus.indymedia.org/content/guest/3430.wmv

mirror: http://indyvideo.ru/video/2006/minsk/20060323-24_night.wmv

She followed by reporting that a number of the Belarus anarchists have been arrested in the slaughter (her words)

This report has just arrived from Belarus.

here it is a general report of Indymedia Belarus on the events of March 25

On Saturday March 25th in Minsk a new wave of protests flashed that

finished with brutal clash with the police

The Friday arrest of 460 people in the protest tent camp strengthened

protest moods in society. More than 5000 people gathered for the

announced demonstration in the center of Minsk. Authorities opposed

the protest with all available police forces, special services and army.

By the beginning of the action the city centre was filled with tens of

armored special forces lorries, and riot squads (OMON) buses. Ranks of

the police moved fast across the streets. The police divided streets

into sectors, surrounding passers-by and not giving them an

opportunity to move. People were squeezed to walls in danger of crush.

First single detentions took place.

Nevertheless, a significant part of protestors managed to concentrate

in a nearby square and to hold a meeting against police terror,

elections fraud and for solidarity with arrested people.

After the meeting a part of protestors began to move towards the

prison where arrested people were hold. The idea of rally was to

provide support for the arrested and to demand for possibility to pass

food and clothes for them. Some hours before it the prison guards were

strengthened, snipers were placed on roofs.

In some kilometers in a narrow deserted place the way of peace

demonstration was met with lines of soldiers in riot equipment, and

also insurgents of "SOBR" (special forces of quick response, their

chief Dmitry Pavlichenko is suspected in political assassinations).

After people had stopped moving, explosions (presumably, gas or noise

grenades) sounded in the forefront and the special troops passed to

the offensive. Some people, shell-shocked by explosions, fell, armored

soldiers stepped on their bodies. Other demonstrators started to run

up – they were being caught up, severely beaten and arrested. Two or

three persons, lying on the ground without consciousness, had to be

transported on stretchers. One of them was in extremely grave

condition therefore eyewitnesses thought he had been killed (Sergey

Atroshchenkov). As it was known later, he is alive, but doctors of

hospital refuse to give any additional information.

After beating and dispersal more than 100 persons were arrested and

loaded into armored lorries. According to eyewitnesses, the police had

never made such slaughter before. In addition to demonstrators, in the

epicenter of events there happened to be people who had just left

stopped public transport, some of them were with children.

Further representatives of special forces in armored jeeps began

hunting for suspiciously looking people on streets of the city,

arresting them for participation in the demonstration.

According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, only 10 people have

been injured, and 8 of them are soldiers of special troops. The police

deny application of assault means.

belarus.indymedia.org

We also the received the following, a blow by blow account of what happened.

There is some chronicle translated from Indymedia Belarus:

--- 15:54

In an organized way columns of demonstrators are moving to Okrestina st. (special prison is located there). Police don’t detain them so far. There are about 5000-7000 of demonstrators. They are going by pavements towards a hospital, show-center and further to Okrestina. On each of the four sides of the Kupala park there are 10 buses with riot squads, 700-750 policemen from each side.

On Okrestina policemen of all kinds continue to amass, there are already arrived:

- 3 armored trucks (the ones that have earlier been used to convey the arrested demonstrators from the October square). They are full with special forces (in black uniform, masks and helmets)

- 3 buses – inside there are riot squads fully equipped

- cars with policemen – 7-8 vehicles

--- 16:16

Special forces have blocked the column from two sides on the Dzerzhinskii ave. At 16:10 riot squads started to blow up something at the head of the column!

--- 16:30

Riot gas is being used, there are bleeding people lying unconsciously on the ground. Peacefull demonstration is being put down with terrible brutality. There is information that additional trucks with policemen are going here from Okrestina.

--- 16:36

Peaceful demonstrators moving to Okrestina are being bombarded with smokeblocks and sound grenades by riot squads. They have just used riot gas against people. People are in panic. Riot squads are batoning them. Dmitrii Pavlichenko is commanding actions of Special troops.

Behind the chain of policemen there is a bloodstained man lying on the ground.

There are 3-4 thousand of people left, they are being detained. Some people with flags have been arrested. People are being dispersed.

--- 16:44

Witnesses are telling the following: “A woman has come and said that this killed guy was fractured with a baton. He fell and policemen walked on him. Now they’re calling for Belarusian Television to show that demonstrators have just trampled down one of theirs.”

--- 16:49

The action is suppressed. In the city center special forces started the real hunt on people. Cursing, special forces were dispersing, arresting, beating people in streets and courtyards. An armored vehicle has just arrived.

Note: The name of the injured man is Sergey Otroschenko (it is not known yet if he is killed or severely injured)

--- 17:25

There are armored vehicles in the center. Policemen are arresting everyone they don’t like.

Right now it is known that at least 10 people were injured and 38 were arrested. There is no precise information as police refuses to say it.

We’re preparing indyvideo from the event. When it will be uploaded to the site, I’ll send a link here.

Here you can see photos and video from Minsk 25/3/2006

http://svaboda.org/articlesfeatures/politics/2006/3/CE10E8F1-6EDF-4832-9B4F-52A9882682AD.html

http://svaboda.org/articlesfeatures/politics/2006/03/0adf2c87-7991-48fa-ae5c-28641c5d1721.html

http://svaboda.org/articlesfeatures/politics/2006/3/6834EFBD-0E1E-41C8-981D-58FD32B5BF66.html

http://imc-by.hardcore.lt//content/editor/test.avi

http://imc-by.hardcore.lt//content/editor/test2.avi

http://community.livejournal.com/anarchism_ru/177494.html

http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/2006/WORLD/europe/03/25/belarus.protest.ap/story.belarus.clash.ap.jpg

http://community.livejournal.com/minsk_by/1109845.html?nc=2

http://community.livejournal.com/minsk_news/160532.html

http://fishbi4.livejournal.com/162234.html

http://www.hello.by/minsk25/

http://community.livejournal.com/minsk_by/1105907.html

http://community.livejournal.com/minsk_news/157519.html

http://lazyest.streenet.org/scry/index.php?v=list&i=0&p=Lazy/2006/volia/25.03

http://public.fotki.com/Mirritil/25_march/

Look at this crap: http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,1735464,00.html

The AF have received this message from comrades in Belarus. We will post more details.

Dear comrades!

On March 31st we appeal to you to join the action of

solidarity with hundreds of Byelorussian political

prisoners. They were arrested during the protests

against the falsified elections. That day,31 March, is

the inauguration of the "first forever" president of

Belarus – Lukashenko. In protest of that we are

arranging a broad action, which has been named "Black

mark for Rygorych" (nickname of Lukashenko). The goal

of the action is the following: people throughout the

world will hang out black ribbons in different cities

during the day. The ribbons will be hung on the trees,

fences, in public transport, metro etc. These actions

will take place close to the Byelorussian embassies in

different countries.

That date we kindly call you to come to protest

against the political repression in Belarus and also

to cover an embassy of Belarus and its neighbourhood

with the black ribbons. We want your action to be

published in the press.

We need your solidarity now!

Therefore we would ask you to find out the addresses

of the Belarusian embassies and consulates in your

country and stock up on the black ribbons in advance

We would like comrades to show solidarity with the anarchists in Belarus. We are calling a demonstration outside the Belarus Embassy on Friday afternoon. In accordance with the request of the Belarus anarchists, we'd like folk to come with black ribbons (see previous post). We are meeting at 3pm at High Street Kensington tube station. Banners and flags would also be good