Masked Men Use Tear Gas on Elderly Protesters During Anti-Government Demonstration

Masked men were captured using tear gas on elderly women, who shielded behind umbrellas, during anti-government protests in Minsk, Belarus, on October 12.

Large crowds of pensioners descended on central Minsk in opposition to President Alexander Lukashenko, who was inaugurated for a sixth term on September 23, after a disputed election on August 9.

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported that the incident happened near the city’s Belarusian National Technical University during the pensioners’ protest, and said “security forces used tear gas against the grandparents on the march.”

The demonstrations came a day after an anti-government protest in the Belarusian capital was broken up by water cannons. Credit: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty via Storyful