Police Detain Hundreds at Anti-Government Protest in Minsk

Police in Minsk reportedly detained hundreds of people on Saturday in a clampdown against a day of planned protest by groups opposing government policies, including a controversial tax on the unemployed.

The protests coincided with Freedom Day, which marks Belarusian independence from Russian rule in 1918.

According to reports, demonstrators in Minsk were met by police in riot gear, who blocked access to the square where a rally was planned. Many of those detained were reportedly beaten, and a number of journalist were among the detainees.

Protesters have been demanding that President Alexander Lukashenko stand down amid an economic downturn in the country. Credit: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty via Storyful