Several dozens Belarusians rallied I central Vilnius to protest the Lukashenko government. On Friday, they the fourth anniversary since the contested 2020 presidential election in Belarus.
The Free Belarusians Campaign started in Cathedral Square, where people brought flags of the Belarusian opposition, as well as Lithuania and Ukraine.
Some Belarusians are still hopeful that the situation in their home country may change, while others are pessimistic.
“My country is occupied by Lukashenko and this government is terrible, people are dying in prisons now,” Daliya Karetka, who has been living in Lithuania for the past 18 months, told BNS.
The 28-year-old Belarusian, who has a teacher’s degree, believes that if Ukraine wins the war against Russia, other countries will help the people of Belarus: “I understand that Ukraine is very important part of world politics and we are not so important now. Maybe after its victory other countries can help us.”
“I hope he dies. I understand that this is not normal but nobody can live forever. Nobody can be president forever,” she said.
Anton Vasenka, 37, said he supported a free elections in Belarus without Lukashenko, but he was pessimistic about possible changes in the near future.
“Part of me still believes,” the man, who has lived in Lithuania for more than a year, told BNS.
Later, the rally is marching towards the Belarusian Embassy where the participants are paying tribute to victims of repressions by the Lukashenko regime.
Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsichanouskaya, who was unable to attend the rally, told LRT RADIO on Friday that Belarusians were constantly looking for new ways to fight the government.
“We probably feel less attention from our partners right now, but solidarity is not disappearing,” she said.
She said that the presidential election next year will be “a farce”.
"We know that the people will not recognise him and will continue fighting against his dictatorship. Of course, if the situation remains as it is now, the status quo, they won’t have the chance to go out on the streets to show their will this way. But we need to realise that the uprising is only part of the revolution and a lot of work is going on behind the scenes,” Tsikhanouskaya said.
“Of course, we will try to use this event to our advantage: we will have a big media campaign, we will try to mobilise people to fight. We are convinced that our work is worthy of attention even if it is not visible, she added.
Following the August 9, 2020, presidential election, unprecedented protests erupted in Belarus after Lukashenko announced that he had been elected for a sixth consecutive term, and the authorities launched a large-scale crackdown on dissidents, journalists and activists.
Having challenged Lukashenko, Tsikhanouskaya was forced to flee the country and now continues her political activities from Vilnius. Representatives of the Belarusian civil society and the opposition met in Vilnius in early August and confirmed Tsikhanouskaya as their leader until democratic elections are held in their country.
The Belarusian opposition and European Union countries do not recognise Lukashenko as a legitimate leader of Belarus. His government and the country are now subject to international sanctions.
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