2011 Belarusian protests

2011 nationwide demonstrations in Belarus against the government of Alexander Lukashenko

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2011 Belarusian protests

Part of the Belarusian democracy movement

Security forces pushing back protesters in Minsk, 15 June 2011

Date| 8 June (2024-06-08) – 12 October 2011 (2011-10-13)
(4 months and 4 days)
Location|

Belarus

Caused by|

* Economic crisis
* Autocracy
* Devaluation of the ruble

Goals|

* Democracy
* Resignation of President Alexander Lukashenko

Methods| Political lobbying, public rallies, demonstrations, riots, industrial action.
Casualties and losses
18 injuries, including 2 police officers

The 2011 Belarusian protests were a series of peaceful protests by demonstrators in Belarus demanding the resignation of current Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko, who had been the president of Belarus since 1994.[1][2] Belarus is an authoritarian state, and in May 2011 presidential candidate Andrei Sannikov was sentenced to five years in prison for taking part in the 2010 presidential election. Lukashenko claimed he won with almost 80% of the vote.[3]

## Background

[edit]

Much of the protesting fervor stemmed from a rapidly degrading economy that Belarus had been facing in the months before the protests.[4]

## Protests

[edit]

### 8 June

[edit]

* In the first protest actions, at 7 p.m. on Kastrychnitskaya Square in Minsk, about 400 people gathered together in response to an appeal on the Internet to come to the main squares of cities to take part in the silent protest action "Revolution Through the Social Network". At the beginning of the action, the participants stood disorganized in small groups, occupying a significant part of the square. At around 7:10 p.m., the participants began to applaud spontaneously, after which a dense ring of protesters and journalists formed in the center of the square. People standing in the center of the ring sang songs and played the guitar.
* The action was watched by members of the special forces police regiment, as well as people with civilian walkie-talkies. Special forces were on duty not far from the crowd, while the plain clothes officers were constantly in the center of the event, without interfering in the course of the peaceful action. Around 7:45 p.m., the participants began to disperse. Only a few dozen people remained on the square.
* In Mogilev, on Lenin Square near the House of Soviets, about 80 people gathered at the call. Young people prevailed among the participants of the action. According to some participants, they were largely inspired by the action "Stop Petrol," held the day before in Minsk.
* About 200 people gathered on Lenin Square in Brest. The participants of the action did not shout out slogans and were without banners. They were walking and talking. Some of the passing cars were signaling in support of the participants' action. The action was observed by two people in police uniforms, as well as by security forces. The action lasted from 18:50 to 19:30 and ended with applause.
* About 200 people gathered on Lenin Square in the center of Gomel. The action was attended by famous Gomel musicians, representatives of informal youth movements.

### 29 June

[edit]

Hundreds of people gathered in Minsk, the capital of Belarus, to protest against the rule of Alexander Lukashenko. Unlike previous demonstrations, the protesters this time just simply applauded. It was not long before people were forced onto police buses, and about 40 were detained.

### 3 July

[edit]

On Belarusian independence day, about 3000 demonstrators took part in a "clapping protest" in the main square of Minsk, in which protesters clapped instead of chanting slogans. Plain clothed police later came, and arrested many protesters, including a one-armed man for clapping, and a deaf mute accused of shouting anti-government slogans.[5] Lukashenko and the state police were awarded the 2013 Ig Nobel Peace Prize for these actions.[6]

Following the protest on 3 July 2011, activists widened their tactical approach of civil disobedience by distributing videos of police brutality to random citizens, in order to help garner sympathy and bolster the global critiques of the authoritarian government.[7]

### 13 July

[edit]

Plain-clothed officers detaining a protester in Minsk, 15 July

Hundreds of people showed up in Minsk with cellphones set to go off at 8 am, in gesture to tell people to "wake up". Several dozen people were arrested by the police.[8]

## Reaction

[edit]

The government began blocking social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook.[9][10]

On 29 July, the government banned assemblies and gatherings, making them illegal.[11]

## See also

[edit]

* Belarusian presidential election, 2010
* Jeans Revolution
* Orange Revolution
* List of protests in the 21st century

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Belarus: Lukashenko vows to quell 'revolution plot'". BBC News. 3 July 2011.
2. ^ Tovrov, Daniel (4 July 2011). "Hundreds Arrested in Belarus' Silent Protest".
3. ^ Marson, James (14 May 2011). "Belarus Presidential Runner-Up Sentenced to Prison". The Wall Street Journal.
4. ^ "Lukashenko nears crunch time, says Belarus opposition". Reuters. 6 July 2011. Archived from the original on 25 May 2012.
5. ^ Weir, Fred (8 July 2011). "In Belarus, one-armed man arrested for clapping". The Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved 10 October 2014.
6. ^ "Winner if the Ig Nobel Prize". Annals of Improbable Research. Retrieved 10 October 2014.
7. ^ Motlagh, Jason (12 July 2011). "Protesters broaden tactics as Belarus cracks down" - via Christian Science Monitor.
8. ^ "100 detained in Belarus protests – NEWS FROM BELARUS". Archived from the original on 17 February 2012. Retrieved 30 July 2011.
9. ^ Mary. "Belarus blocks Twitter and Facebook in bid to prevent protests".
10. ^ Balmforth, Richard (3 July 2011). "UPDATE 2-Belarus police arrest protesters at anti-Lukashenko rallies". Reuters.
11. ^ "Belarus Passes Law Against Silent Protests". Archived from the original on 14 August 2011. Retrieved 30 July 2011.

* v
* t
* e

Belarusian opposition

Protests|

* Minsk Spring
* Freedom March
* Jeans Revolution
* 2010 protests
* 2011 protests
* Teddybear Airdrop Minsk 2012
* 2017 protests
* 2020–2021 protests
* human rights issues
* related deaths
* international reactions

| Annual|

* Freedom Day
* Chernobyl Way
* Day of Solidarity with Belarus

|

Organisations|

* Tell the Truth!
* Charter 97
* Belarus Free Theatre
* Belarus Solidarity Foundation
* Rada of the Belarusian Democratic Republic
* Viasna Human Rights Centre
* Nexta
* Cyber Partisans
* Community of Railway Workers of Belarus
* Busly liaciać
* BYPOL

Coordination
Council|

| Head|

* Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya

|

Presidium|

* Svetlana Alexievich
* Sergei Dylevsky
* Pavel Latushko
* Maria Kalesnikava
* Olga Kovalkova
* Liliya Vlasova
* Maxim Znak

NAM|

| Head|

* Pavel Latushko

|

Team|

* deputy head + foreign policy: Vladzimir Astapenka

United
Transitional
Cabinet|

| Head|

* Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya

|

Members|

* transfer of power: Pavel Latushko
* law and order: (Aug 2022–Aug 2023: Aliaksandr Azarau)
* foreign relations: Valery Kavaleuski
* deputy: Vladzimir Astapenka
* defence and security: Aug 2022–Aug 2024: Valery Sakhashchyk, Aug 2024–present: Vadzim Kabanchuk
* finance, economy: (Sep–Oct 2022: Tatsiana Zaretskaya)
* national revival: Alina Koushyk
* social issues: Volha Harbunova
* youth policy: Marharyta Vorychava

Other people|

* Vitold Ashurak
* Viktar Babaryka
* Ales Bialiatski
* Mikalai Khalezin
* Ihar Losik
* Roman Protasevich
* Mikola Statkevich
* Ivonka Survilla
* Alexander Taraikovsky
* Sergei Tikhanovsky
* Valery Tsepkalo
* Veronika Tsepkalo
* Andrei Zeltser

See also|

* Belarusian and Russian partisan movement
* Rail war in Belarus
* New Belarus passport
* White-red-white flag

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