UKRAINE: Belarus opposition stage "graffiti for freedom" protest in Kiev

Belarussian opposition activists stage a "graffiti for freedom" protest in Kiev, aiming to encourage their fellow countrymen back home to demand more freedoms. Belarus opposition activists staged a protest outside their country's embassy building in the Ukrainian capital Kiev on Monday (July 16) evening, calling on Belarussians to demand more freedoms back home. Painting graffiti style banners, with some depicting Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko as a "second Hitler", the prostesters said their protest was part of a European-wide action to draw attention to a lack of basic freedoms in Belarus. "Similar actions are happening in many other cities across Europe and in many big Belarussian cities as well. Protesters are trying to express their support to those people who are sitting in prison (in Belarus) for their convictions," said Alexei Rubanov, an opposition activist. Rubanov said people in Belarus needed to think a lot more about building a free society. "The people need to think of freedom, they don't do it at the moment. I don't think that Lukashenko is the main target. We have called our protest "Graffiti for freedom", with the idea to push for the people of Belarus to become more free," he added. Lukashenko, is branded by the United States as Europe's last dictator. Re-elected to a third term in office last year, he is popular among rural and elderly voters in Belarus. Lukashenko says the Belarus opposition is led by outcasts who have failed in government and live of foreign donations. Lukashenko, who has ruled the tightly-policed former Soviet-state since 1994, is accused by the European Union and United States of rigging elections and quashing the opposition. ENDS

ITN Source | July 18, 2007

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