Dozens Arrested in Crack Down on Women's March in Minsk

Police and masked men in green uniforms staged a violent crackdown on a Women’s March in Minsk on September 12 as protests continued over last month’s election, which the opposition says was rigged in favor of President Alexander Lukashenko.

An estimated 10,000 women joined the Saturday protests, according to TUT.by and Belsat.

As marchers reached Freedom Square, security forces began pushing them back, arresting women, and shoving them into vehicles, as shown in this footage provided by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.

Viasna, a human rights group in Minsk, reported that at least 69 women were detained throughout the day.

Belsat, a satellite television channel based in Poland and targeted at Belarusians, said two of its journalists, Katsyaryna Andreyeva and Maksim Kalitouski, were among those arrested. Both were wearing vests identifying them as member of the press, Belsat said. According to Andreyeva, their camera and phones were seized by police.

Many of the women marching were backing Maria Kolesnikova, a leader of the opposition Coordination Council calling for a new election, and who was jailed this week after police tried to force her out of the country into Ukraine, the Associated Press reported. Credit: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty via Storyful