Brutal dispersal of action near Red Catholic Church (video)

Nearly 100 people gathered in the Independence Square in Minsk on December 19. They got together near the Red Catholic Church. They lighted candles in commemoration of the events which took place on December 19 last year, thus demonstrating that they consider that date to be a mournful day in the history of Belarus. 

Dispersal of the action started at about 7.45 p.m. Nearly 20 people were detained, riot policemen dragged some of them over the ground to the police buses, which arrived to the Square. Other participants of the action left. 

People in plain clothes pushed photographer Victar Drachou from a 1-meter high parapet. He was holding a camera so he failed to draw his knees to the chest and injured his knee severely.

The Belarusian Helsinki Committee's observer Julia Hlashchankova is also detained.

At about 8.10 p.m. it became known that 19 people had been delivered to the Maskouski district police department by 2 VW mini-buses. An ambulance vehicle arrived there as well.

Photo: Bymedia"Nasha Niva".