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2017 Belarusian protests | |||
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Part of the Belarusian democracy movement | |||
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Date | 17 February [1] – c. 1 May 2017 | ||
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Caused by |
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Status | Ended | ||
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Detained | >700 [3] |
The 2017 Belarusian protests were a series of demonstrations and street protests against President Alexander Lukashenko that broke out in late February 2017. Protesters mobilized against a tax levied against the unemployed in Belarus. Demonstrations and marches were held in sites throughout the country with sizes of several hundred to several thousand gathering at a given time.
Belarus has been described for several years as Europe's "last dictatorship" [ by whom? ] with no genuine political opposition against Lukashenko possible. [4] Previous protests in 2011 and 2015 resulted in mass arrests. The country has also been in an economic recession since 2015 due to falling gasoline prices and that year a law was passed taxing the unemployed. [1] Roughly 470,000 Belarusians are obliged to pay the tax but only about 10% have since it was issued. [1]
Approximately 2,500 protesters [5] filled the streets in Minsk on 17 February to protest a policy that required anyone who works for less than 183 days [6] per year to pay US$250 for "lost taxes" to help fund welfare policies. [7] This converts to approximately 5 million Belarusian rubles. [1] The law has proven unpopular and has been mocked in the public as the "law against social parasites". [1] On 19 February, another 2,000 demonstrated in the second city of Gomel. [7] Both gatherings were unauthorized but were not disrupted by authorities. Smaller demonstrations were held in other cities. [8]
On 25 March, opposition leader Vladimir Nekliayev, who was set to speak at the main protest, was stopped in the morning on his way to Minsk, his wife said. [9]
The government defended the mass arrests and beatings against citizens by alleging that the police had found "petrol bombs and arms-laden cars" near a protest in Minsk. [10]
The mayor of Brest met with the protesters.
After the rally, the organizers received 15 days of arrest. [17]
To the protesting crowd came member of parliament Igor Marzalyuk, five people arrested [26]
About 40 people were detained in Minsk. [27]