Belarus activists protest despite govt clampdown

Alongside huge pro-democracy rallies in Belarus, more intimate neighbourhood gatherings are taking place, continuing more than two and a half months of protests demanding the resignation of the country's authoritarian president.

The demonstrations were triggered by official results giving President Alexander Lukashenko 80% of the vote in an Aug. 9 election that the opposition insists was rigged.

Lukashenko, who has ruled Belarus with an iron fist since 1994, has accused the United States and its allies of fomenting unrest in the ex-Soviet country.

Belarusian activist Anna Koval told British broadcaster Sky News that authorities were making it harder to bring supplies to people in detention.

"Many parents come with parcels for their children and can't give them to them. So they come, queue up, and find that their child was moved to another detention center an hour earlier," she said.

On Saturday, women who marched in Minsk carried umbrellas in the white and red colors of the opposition flag.

They also held placards stating their professions to underline widespread opposition to Lukashenko's 26-year rule among people of various occupations, chanting “Go away!” as a demand for the president's resignation.

Police arrested at least 10 march participants, according to the Viasna human rights center in Belarus.

Daily protests in Belarus have continued despite arrests and pressure, peaking on weekends with crowds of 100,000 and more.

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