More than 100,000 Belaruss demonstrate before the Olympics expire for Lucashencon

Protesters clashed with police in Minsk and security services dropped at least 10 bombs on them, Reuters reports.

Belarus's Ministry of Internal Affairs is controlling claims that living ammunition has been used during the conflict.

Authorities closed 12 subway stations and restricted internet access through mobile phones.

Local media reported that some of the journalists covering the protest were arrested.

Police arrested several demonstrators in the western town of Lida of Belarus, while sights from Minsk show a convoy of buses bringing members of security forces to the centre of the city.

Belarus has been hit by a political crisis since the August 9th presidential elections, when mass antigovernmental protests began throughout the country, initiated by the official results of a vote that Lukashenko won more than 80 per cent of the vote. Lucas' opponents claim the elections were stolen.

Despite the authorities' efforts to eliminate demonstrations by arresting and suppressing demonstrators and activists, mass protests were not extinguished after two and a half months.

The most massive protests occur on Sundays when tens of thousands of demonstrators take to the streets.

Opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovska, who fled to Lithuania immediately after elections to avoid arrest, gave the ultimatum Lucas last week to resign until midnight, announcing that otherwise it would call all citizens to enter the general strike.

Tikhanovska, who suddenly became Lucasenko's main rival in the presidential election following the arrest of other prominent opposition figures, said today was a separate “day”.

Lukashenko, 66, an ally of Russian leader Vladimir Putin, has led Belarus with a hand set since July 1994.