Authorities sucrifice 19th-century building to clear space for Lithuanian Consulate in Hrodna
Do Lithuanians know that a Lithuanian Consulate will be built in the place of the old windmill? 13 young activists of the movement “Let’s save Hrodna from destruction” were arrested in the Old Town at about 2 p.m. Young people were protesting against the destruction of the old windmill. A journalist Pavel Mazheika informed the European Radio for Belarus about the details of the incident.
Pavel Mazheika: “We got information that the old windmill was being destroyed from a Hrodna dweller yesterday afternoon. It was a sensation because the building was not on the list of those that the authorities had decided to pull down. Young people immediately went there and managed to save the building.
They agreed to come there the following morning to protest and to hold transparencies urging to stop the destruction of Hrodna”.
Five of the thirteen participants were released. Three minors and two people who “did not participate in the action actively”. It means they were not holding any transparencies. The thing is that the police were filming the protest action since morning and could decide who participated in it in a “more” or “less” active way. Pavel Mazheika thinks that the rest will undergo a trial.
Pavel Mazheika: “Eight of the detained will be taken to court. It means that a court decision will be announced to them soon. They are probably accused of participation in an unapproved action”.
At about 4 p.m. ERB managed to phone one of the detained – Maxim Hubarevich. At that moment he was at Leninski District of Hrodna Department of the Interior. That’s what the activist of the movement “Let’s save Hrodna from destruction” said before his phone was taken away from him.
Maxim Hubarevich: “I’m at Leninski District Department of the Interior now. A protocol for participation in an unapproved action has been drawn up against me. I will be fined or sentenced to 15 days of detention”.
The phone call to another detained, Ales Zaleuski, brought similar results. We phoned him at about 5 p.m.
Ales Zaleuskі: “We will stand trial for participation in an unapproved picket…”
According to Pavel Maxheika, the city authorities are doing everything possible not to allow any information leak concerning their plans on destruction of the Old Town of Hrodna. As for the windmill that they are going to destroy even if it’s not on the list, a Lithuanian Consulate may be built there after the “reconstruction” of Hrodna. By the way, the Lithuanian Embassy knows nothing about this plan. The secretary of the Lithuanian Embassy to Belarus Marius Yanukonis informed ERB about it.
Marius Yanukonіs: “To tell you the truth, I do not know what windmill they are talking about. I don’t even know what land will be allocated for the new building”.
Photo by http://knopych.com
Pavel Mazheika: “We got information that the old windmill was being destroyed from a Hrodna dweller yesterday afternoon. It was a sensation because the building was not on the list of those that the authorities had decided to pull down. Young people immediately went there and managed to save the building.
They agreed to come there the following morning to protest and to hold transparencies urging to stop the destruction of Hrodna”.
Five of the thirteen participants were released. Three minors and two people who “did not participate in the action actively”. It means they were not holding any transparencies. The thing is that the police were filming the protest action since morning and could decide who participated in it in a “more” or “less” active way. Pavel Mazheika thinks that the rest will undergo a trial.
Pavel Mazheika: “Eight of the detained will be taken to court. It means that a court decision will be announced to them soon. They are probably accused of participation in an unapproved action”.
At about 4 p.m. ERB managed to phone one of the detained – Maxim Hubarevich. At that moment he was at Leninski District of Hrodna Department of the Interior. That’s what the activist of the movement “Let’s save Hrodna from destruction” said before his phone was taken away from him.
Maxim Hubarevich: “I’m at Leninski District Department of the Interior now. A protocol for participation in an unapproved action has been drawn up against me. I will be fined or sentenced to 15 days of detention”.
The phone call to another detained, Ales Zaleuski, brought similar results. We phoned him at about 5 p.m.
Ales Zaleuskі: “We will stand trial for participation in an unapproved picket…”
According to Pavel Maxheika, the city authorities are doing everything possible not to allow any information leak concerning their plans on destruction of the Old Town of Hrodna. As for the windmill that they are going to destroy even if it’s not on the list, a Lithuanian Consulate may be built there after the “reconstruction” of Hrodna. By the way, the Lithuanian Embassy knows nothing about this plan. The secretary of the Lithuanian Embassy to Belarus Marius Yanukonis informed ERB about it.
Marius Yanukonіs: “To tell you the truth, I do not know what windmill they are talking about. I don’t even know what land will be allocated for the new building”.
Photo by http://knopych.com
