Dozens Arrested As Police Disperse Women Protesting Against Lukashenka

Security forces in Minsk detained dozens of protesters on September 26 during a women’s march against Alyaksandr Lukashenka, who claimed victory in the Belarusian presidential election on August 9 amid reports of widespread fraud. The detentions began soon after the women, many dressed in white and carrying red and white flowers and waving red-and-white opposition flags, gathered to march through the capital. A group of women carried posters and chanted in support of opposition presidential candidate Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who they say won the vote and who has since taken refuge in neighboring Lithuania. Some women wore paper crowns in reaction to Lukashenka’s surprise inauguration on September 23.