Thousands of Belarusites protest Putin's ally

Thousands of Belarusers organised new demonstrations today against authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko, a friend of Russian President Vladimir Putin, despite threats from police that he will use weapons if necessary.

Belarus's Ministry of Internal Affairs told AFP, more than 100 demonstrators have been arrested in Minsk so far.

The human rights protection group Vesna Prolece said police are still arresting protesters in Minsk and other cities, and local media report on their journalists' arrest.

Unlike early protests Sunday, when the largest number of citizens met, protesters gathered today, not in downtown Minsk, but on the outskirts of the city where numerous factories are located, according to AFP.

Today's protest is the first since opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovska, who fled to Lithuania to avoid arrest, gave an ultimatum to Lucasenkos to resign on 25 October. She announced that otherwise she would call on all citizens to take to the streets and start a general strike.

Tikhanovska, who became Lucas' main rival in the August 9th presidential election following the arrest of other prominent opposition figures, also demanded an end to the citizens' police crackdown and the release of all “political prisoners”.

Belarus has been hit by a political crisis since the presidential elections, when mass antigovernmental protests began throughout the country, initiated by official voting results, according to which Lukaschenko won more than 80 per cent of the vote. Lucas' opponents claim the elections had been stolen.

Despite the authorities' efforts to stave off protests by arresting and suppressing protesters and activists, there is no indication that demonstrations have weakened.

Protests have continued for more than two months, with most demonstrators appearing on the street Sunday.

Lukashenko, 66, who has been leading Belarus with a firm hand since July 1994, with the oppression of opposition and independent media, accuses Western countries of inciting protests.

Belarus's Ministry of Internal Affairs warned on Monday that police would not hesitate to use live ammunition “if it is necessary” in the upcoming protests.

Police already used weapons in early August at the first demonstrations in Brest, south of the country. Since the start of the protests, at least three people have been killed, dozens more have been wounded and hundreds of protesters, opposition activists, union leaders and journalists have been arrested.

All prominent politicians and activists of the Belarusian opposition have been imprisoned or fled abroad.