Protests that were historic in Belarus for their size and duration broke out after the Aug. 9 presidential election, which election officials say handed Mr. Lukashenko a sixth term in office in a landslide. Protesters say the official results are fraudulent and are calling for Mr. Lukashenko to resign. The police responded harshly in the first days of the protests, arresting thousands of people and harshly beating many. Mr. Lukashenko’s main election challenger, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, has called for another major show of opposition at a protest this Sunday. One of Minsk’s most popular nightlife districts was atypically empty on Saturday evening as many of the capital’s youth prepared for what could be a key day in the movement against Mr. Lukashenko.

Source: New York Times August 22, 2020 21:11 UTC