Police disperse entrepreneurs' rally in Minsk
1621 -- Entrepreneurs decide to end the action at 1700, but the rally organizer Ales Taustyka has called on the participants to gather again at noon on January 25 on October Square. Entrepreneurs have promised not to pay taxes up to this date.
1557 -- Around 500 people have blocked the Independence Avenue near the building of the Belarus State University. Traffic is being diverted to the other routes. Entrepreneurs keep demanding a meeting with the country's leadership. While officers are ordering the people to clear the square, the protesters are saying in respond: "Since they don't hear us, we don't hear them!"
1433 -- Around 1000 protesters are at the Independence Square, demanding a meeting with Belarus Prime Minister Sergei Sidorski. Police have blocked access to the building of the parliament. People are shouting "Jobs!" and "Freedom!"
1433 -- To avoid clashes with the police, entrepreneurs deicided to walk to the House of the Government on Independence Square. Police also warned opposition leader Alexander Milnkevich that he would be personally held responsible for today's unauthorized event.
1314 -- Only 2000 out of a total of 12,000 sole entrepreneurs in the Brest region have registered as private unitary enterprises. On Thursday, most of the major market places and trade centers were half-empty or nearly-empty as most of the entrepreneurs have remained on leaves since January 1. Nobody is calling it a strike. It is not clear what will happen at the end of the month, when their leaves will officially end.
1238 -- Several protesters, including Anatol Shumchanka, Karen Akopau and Mikalai Ramashyn, have been invited for negotiations at the Office of the President, while police are continuing to warn the rally participants that the event is not authorized. Opposition leader Alexander Milinkevich and political prisoner Kozulin's daughter Volga have addressed the participants. Several representatives of the entrepreneurship movement from across Belarus are making speeches.
1227 -- The activists of the entrepreneurship movement in Belarus, Viktar Kryval and Aliaksandr Tsatsura were stopped by police outside of Minsk when they were driving to join the protest on October Square. Tsatsura was detained together with his wife and son. Their car was stopped by a traffic police patrol allegedly fo having moved along the wrong lane. Tsatsura argued that he committed no violation of the moving rules. The officers sezied his driving licence and started writing something inside their vehicle. Tsatsura told the officers that he closed his car started walking, leaving the policement behind. Another police crew later detained them and took the activists to a local police station.
1205 -- Around 300 people have gathered at the October Square in central Minsk. More people are arriving at the site occupied by a skating ring and activists from the pro-goverment youth union.
