BARANAVICHY, Belarus -- Officials in the central Belarusian town of Baranavichy have denied an activist permission to hold an antigovernment bike ride protest, RFE/RL's Belarus Service reports.
Opposition activist Mikola Charnavus planned to ride his bike for five kilometers from Baranavichy to the village of Malaya Taupenitsa on October 27.
He wanted to display three placards on his bike, saying "The President Insults," "The Mayor Ignores," and "The Governor Rejects."
Baranavichy Deputy Mayor Dzmitry Kasyukevich informed Charnavus in writing that his application "violates several articles of the law on holding public actions," but did not specify which ones.
"One of the workers at the Mayor's office ironically told me in the corridor that my plan to hold the protest bike ride was denied because I may fall off [the bike] and hurt myself. Now I will think of ways how to stage a protest that would exclude any possibility of falling," Charnavus told RFE/RL.
Read more in Belarusian here
Opposition activist Mikola Charnavus planned to ride his bike for five kilometers from Baranavichy to the village of Malaya Taupenitsa on October 27.
He wanted to display three placards on his bike, saying "The President Insults," "The Mayor Ignores," and "The Governor Rejects."
Baranavichy Deputy Mayor Dzmitry Kasyukevich informed Charnavus in writing that his application "violates several articles of the law on holding public actions," but did not specify which ones.
"One of the workers at the Mayor's office ironically told me in the corridor that my plan to hold the protest bike ride was denied because I may fall off [the bike] and hurt myself. Now I will think of ways how to stage a protest that would exclude any possibility of falling," Charnavus told RFE/RL.
Read more in Belarusian here
