Youth in Minsk plan more actions in respond to picket ban

The Minsk city hall has rejected applications from youth pressure groups to stage pickets against the abolition of social benefits for students. In respond, the youth wing of the Party of the Belarusian Popular Front called on supporters to stage several protests near the central market-place in Minsk from July 24 to July 31, Franak Viacorka, one of the organizers, told the European Radio for Belarus. "We have now decided to launch a campaign titled "Clutter City Hall with Applications". Members of the youth wing of the Belarusian Popular Front will on a daily basis file applications for various pickets at different locations and with different obectives. We hope that the city authorities will eventually have no grounds to reject our applications", he said

According to Viacorka. youth activists also requested the city hall to inform them about the locations where they could be approved to stage pickets.

Usually, authorities formally reject applications on the grounds that the requested sites are not suitable for pickets.