Interior minister explains why police go easy on opposition rallies
Recently, the police stopped dispersing mass rallies and detaining their participants. Now they draw protocols and impose fines. Why did the police attitude toward unauthorized rallies change, Euroradio correspondent asked the Minister of Internal Affairs Ihar Shunevich during the Minsk press conference on 1 March.
"I would not argue that our attitude toward unauthorized rallies has transformed, the rhetoric, both external and internal, also changed. But the Belarusian police found a new suitable algorithm for responding to unauthorized opposition rallies, which satisfied both the authorities and the West, not a single protest is ignored -- the protocols are drawn up," said Shunevich.
Now the police is drawing aministrative reports and sending them to the court, where participants are fined.
"I would not argue that our attitude toward unauthorized rallies has transformed, the rhetoric, both external and internal, also changed. But the Belarusian police found a new suitable algorithm for responding to unauthorized opposition rallies, which satisfied both the authorities and the West, not a single protest is ignored -- the protocols are drawn up," said Shunevich.
Now the police is drawing aministrative reports and sending them to the court, where participants are fined.