Belarus National Strike Failed, What Now?

Click to see full-size image

The attempt at regime change in Belarus appears to have all but failed.

Street protests’ popularity is almost entirely gone. The planned national strike didn’t happen, and the majority of factories and businesses are still operational.

Just a number of businesses went on a strike, and the students as well – both school and university, which is understandable, since an excuse to get out of school is usually taken.

A video was released, presumably showing  riot police in Minsk bursting into an apartment in the city searching for protesters who had been seeking refuge after officers used stun grenades at a rally against President Alexander Lukashenko.

The footage, filmed on October 25^th and later posted to social media, shows a policeman using a baton to beat a man who was draped with the pre-Soviet red-and-white flag, the symbol adopted by the opposition. Police detained at least three other men, while several others were sheltering on the upper floors of the building, a witness said.

According to openly available information, on October 25^th, about 100,000 people joined the “People’s Ultimatum march” in Minsk.

The Belarusian riot police was seen throwing stun grenades into crowds of protesters, chasing people through courtyards and making detentions.

The authorities cut off mobile internet across central Minsk, closed metro stations and placed military cordons armed with firearms at key sites. Some of the protesters tried to hide inside their own apartments, which were then raided by police.

On October 26^th, groups of workers and students in Belarus carried out a nationwide strike call by Svetlana Tsikhanouskaya.

Workers at some state-run plants put down their tools, left the buildings and chanted slogans outside. Hundreds of students also rallied on university campuses in Minsk while clapping, chanting and forming solidarity chains.

Reportedly, at least 155 people were arrested for supporting the strike action in Minsk, Barysaw, Brest, Hrodno, Mogilev and Novopolotsk.

Generally, only a few businesses stopped working, and the strike was a presumed failure.

On October 28^th, BelTA reported that a traffic police office in Mozyr was set on fire, no one was injured. The Belarus state security committee said it is an act of terrorism.

The lack of coverage since the protests have largely lost steam to follow through on the neo-liberal agenda is evidence of how successful it was.

Even the loudest supporter of the regime change – Poland is seeing almost no attention given to it, since Poland is currently griped in its own protests against the anti-abortion bill. It is simply showing how little interest the general population has into meddling into other countries’ affairs.

MORE ON THE TOPIC:

• Belarus Opposition Calls For National Strike On Monday
• Belarus State TV Started Using Soviet Names Of Lithuania, Poland And Ukraine In Response To Increasing Propaganda Pressure