Minsk Authorities Ban Protest Rally against Contract System

11.04.2007.

Minsk city executive committee refused to consider an application for holding a street rally on 15 April in Minsk. The rally was to be held for canceling contract system. On that day organizers of the rally planned to hold an open-air meeting of ‘a core group’ which would later demand canceling the contract system in the country.

As said by the leader the Belarusian Radio and Electronics Workers’ Union (REWU) Henadz Fiadynich, Minsk city executive committee registered the application for holding the rally only on 3 April, Telegraf informs.

’Thus, according to Minsk city executive committee, the requirement of the law to submit application 15 days before a rally had been violated. Basing on that, the applicants have been told today verbally that the application wouldn’t be considered,’ Henadz Fiadynich said.

According to him, the organizers offered holding the rally of the initiative group on Banhalor square or in the Park of the 50h anniversary of October revolution.

’I understand perfectly well why Minsk city executive committee has registered our application later and answered that it wouldn’t be considered. It is hard to imagine that lots of people want to stage rallies in the Part of the 50h anniversary of October revolution. The regime fears that people have been awaken and that they are set to stand up for their rights,’ Henadz Fiadynich said in an interview to the BelaPAN.

He added tat on 10 April a new application was filed to Minsk city executive committee for holding an analogous rally. The initiators of the rally ask to hold it on Bangalore Square on May 1 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

’As far as we know, festive events on this square are to be finished before 2 p.m. That is why I see no reasons for denial. In any case, we would press for any place and any time for holding this rally, as we should do that in compliance with the law. Otherwise our initiative group would not be registered in the Central Election Commission,’ Henadz Fyadynich said.