ENTREPRENEURS' PROTEST DISPERSED BY SPETSNAZ

C O N F I D E N T I A L MINSK 000042 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/22/2018 TAGS: PGOV PHUM PINR ECON BO SUBJECT: ENTREPRENEURS' PROTEST DISPERSED BY SPETSNAZ REF: A. MINSK 030 ¶B. MINSK 017 ¶C. MINSK 008 Classified By: DCM Jonathan Moore for reason 1.4 (d). Summary -------------- ¶1. (C) On January 21, sole proprietors and their supporters staged their second large protest in downtown Minsk this month and agreed to protest again February 18. The crowd of approximately 1,500 then marched toward parliament before Interior Ministry troops in full riot gear dispersed them. Police arrested 22 participants, adding to the long list of those detained this month; most were fined, and some were sentenced to brief jail terms. End summary. 1,500 Demonstrators Gather on Central Square -------------- ¶2. (SBU) Charge, emboffs and diplomats from other missions observed approximately 1,500 demonstrators gathered on October Square January 21 for a protest against Presidential Order 760 (ref A). Although dueling loudspeakers blasted Belarusian state radio and calls to disperse, the crowd managed to approve by a show of hands calls to withhold tax payments, close their stalls beginning February 1, and meet again on October Square on February 18. Protestors Once Again March Down Independence Prospect -------------- -------------- ¶3. (SBU) As during the January 10 demonstration (ref B), protestors marched from October Square to Independence Square, in front of parliament, to demand a meeting with Prime Minister Sergey Sidorskiy. After brief warnings 200-300 Interior Ministry troops in full riot gear deployed and pushed demonstrators off of Independence Square. Once troops cleared most of the square, Interior Minister Vladimir Naumov personally walked up to the exit from an underground shopping mall and yelled at those present, including A/DCM and Poloff, to disperse. 22 Arrested; Unconfirmed Reports of Police Brutality -------------- -------------- ¶4. (SBU) Police arrested 22 demonstrators. Although there were press reports that police beat a number of detainees, Poloff visited one of the courthouses where demonstrators faced trial and was unable to confirm this. Although entrepreneurs made up the vast majority of demonstrators, most of those charged were youth activists. Of the 18 already convicted, the court fined the 13 without previous record up to USD 700 (BYR 1,500,000). Four activists with previous convictions were sentenced to 15 days in prison and another received a five- day sentence. Police arrested a handful of known activists over the weekend to keep them from attending the demonstration. Oleg Korban received the stiffest sentence -- 20 days' imprisonment -- after he allegedly swore in public January 19 while trying to deliver packages to fellow Malady Front members in jail. Comment: Iron Fist Shows It's Not Rusty -------------- ¶5. (C) That a senior cabinet official, and one who plays hockey with Lukashenko, chose to vent his anger personally at a few entrepreneurs, suggests that even he felt pressure from Belarus' dictator. A display of force in central Minsk will hardly help Lukashenko's sagging popularity (ref C),but it may discourage more protestors from turning up in February, especially if the GOB finds a way to make concessions to sole proprietors. STEWART