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October 12th, 2020 
Awake Goy 
Riot police detained protesters in Minsk on October 11 as thousands rallied for the ninth consecutive Sunday rally against Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.
Large numbers of black-clad masked police, internal troops and men in plainclothes emerged from unmarked minibuses and ran towards protesters in the capital Minsk, pulling some to the ground, witness footage on independent news sites showed. Belarus police also used water cannon and stun grenades.
The Viasna rights group, which monitors detentions at political protests, said at least 39 people had been detained in Minsk as well as around a dozen in other cities.
Among those detained were journalists from Russia’s TASS state news agency, although they were later released, the agency reported.
Military and crowd control vehicles were seen entering the city in the morning to prepare for the rally.
Videos of the protests show thousands of people marching in columns through the city, waving flags and chanting slogans.
Anti-Lukashenko protests have rocked the country over the past two months, with the largest rallies in Minsk attracting up to 200,000 people.
During the first days after the election, police used tear gas, truncheons and rubber bullets to disperse crowds.
Several protesters died, many were injured and nearly 7,000 were detained.
The protests erupted after the August 9 election which handed president Lukashenko a sixth term in office in what critics say was a fraudulent vote.
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