Russia's mass media is very closely covering events in Belarus, where street protests continue following flawed elections earlier this month. Pictures of Belarus president Alexander Lukashenko, arriving at his presidential palace with a Kalashnikov in his hand appears on many Russian media outlets. Lukashenko is seen as an embattled president clinging to Russia for his survival.
The prominent Russian paper, Nezavisimaya Gazeta noted this morning that the protests in Belarus have entered their third week. Meanwhile, President Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus has pointed the spotlight on an external threat, primarily Poland's plans to seize the Grodno region, and the nation's defense chief warned that the armed forces would be sent in to quash the protests, Nezavisimaya Gazeta notes.
Another round of demonstrations against the outcome of the presidential election and violence against civilians took place on Sunday. About 200,000 people gathered at Independence Square in the country's capital of Minsk. Additionally, at least 20,000 took to the streets in the city of Grodno.
Lukashenko visited the western region of Grodno on Saturday. When addressing the public at a rally, he warned that the protesters had the weekend to make up their minds, otherwise he would employ "tough measures." Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin also sent a warning to the demonstrators, saying that "if peace and order were violated," they would "have to deal not with the police but with the army."
Experts in Minsk have reason to believe that the threat may become a reality. "I am afraid that somber and dramatic events lie ahead that could become part of the scheme that the defense minister had talked about," political scientist Valery Karbalevich told the newspaper. He described the developments in Belarus as a revolution. "The dividing line is quite intriguing as it lies between the authorities and society. We don't see any serious public forces supporting the regime. The rallies allegedly in support of Alexander Lukashenko are organized by the authorities," the expert said.
Although Lukashenko seeks to encourage his supporters to take part in rallies, the expert sees no reason to speak about significant public support. In his view, this is why the standoff won't spill over into a conflict between various groups of the population.
source: commonspace.eu with Nezavisimaya Gazeta and TASS news agency (Moscow)
