Police Detains 9 People: Students and Graduates of Belarusian Lyceum and Parent

25.03.2004.

On 24 March about 60 lyceum students stood along the main avenue singing Gaudeamus and holding posters. The action was closed by an art performance in Minsk Gorky Park. During the action the lyceum students were approached by police officers who tried to take away the posters. Then the police detained father of lyceum student Yawhen Hrynevich who took pictures of the action. The police officers took Yury Hrynevich to the city police board, located on Lenin Street, reports RFE/RL.
People in plain clothes video-taped the action. When the action was over, and the majority of students left the park, the police detained five lyceum students: Adela Dubavets, Yulia Bandarenka, Volha Kavalova, Maryla Vasiuchenka, and Tatsiana Abramchuk. They also detained three girls who happened to be in the park and watched the performance. Later all the detained were released from Partyzanski borough police board.
Head of the Lyceum self-government Franak Viacorka told RFE/RL about the goal of the action dedicated to the Freedom Day: “We called our action “Overwintered”. That means, the Lyceum survived and lives further on. We wanted to remind people that the Lyceum was closed, and 110 students have no school to study. We remind there is still youth who cares about the fate of Belarus and the Lyceum will always celebrate the freedom day and will always fight for their rights on the street. The action slogans are very simple and quite naïve: “Lyceum wants to live. Don’t let it die”, “Lyceum forever”, “Lyceum is in our hearts”.