Thousands of people joined the rally in front of the government building in Minsk

Most of the demonstrators are workers at the Minsk Tractor Plant, who marched toward the government building on Friday after Prime Minister Roman Golovchenko, who visited the plant, refused to speak to them in front of the journalists. During the march, other residents of the Belarusian capital joined the demonstrators.

The protesters gathered outside the government building are chanting “Go away”, “Count the voices” and “Live Belarus”, Interfax writes. Residents of the city passing by greet the workers with shouts of “Well done”.

The guards at the government building do not disperse the protesters. Earlier, plant workers said that if at least one worker is arrested by the police during their protest, the whole team will not come to work on Monday.

Earlier on Friday, re-elected President Alexander Lukashenko, who, according to official data from the CEC, won 80% of the votes in the last elections, said that strikes at enterprises are fraught with Belarusian enterprises. The protests are beneficial to foreign countries, which, given the already low demand for goods on the world market, due to the coronavirus pandemic, are losing a strong competitor in the person of Belarus.

The protesters gathered outside the government building demand to recognize Lukashenka as illegitimate president, release all previously arrested political prisoners, and also hold new fair elections in the country.