Tens of thousands demonstrate against Lukashenko

Tens of thousands of opposition supporters was Sunday on the street in the Belarusian capital, Minsk, to require president Aleksandr mr lukashenko's competitor departure.

It is the largest demonstration in the country since the Soviet union's collapse, writes the news agency AFP.

Large crowds walked through Minsk to the central Uafhængighedsplads. AFP's journalist on the spot estimates that around 100,000 people participated in the procession.

The independent belarusian web medium tut.by denotes the demonstration as the largest in the independent Belarusian history'.

- Now we write history, says one of the protesters, the 26-year-old Jekaterina Gorbina, to the AFP.

- We believe that a new Belarus begins now. I'm so glad to see it with my own eyes, " says another protester, Darija Kukhta.

Other protesters held signs in the air with lyrics such as 'you can't wash the blood of' and 'Lukashenko must be held accountable for the torture and death'.

Also in other major cities of Belarus there were demonstrations.

Opposition protests against the official results of the election a week ago.

According to the official results had Lukashenko 80 percent of the vote.

the Opposition's 37-year-old challenger, Svetlana Tikhanovskaja, was allegedly about ten percent. She has since fled to Lithuania.

From there she called on his countrymen to continue to put pressure on the regime.

the Belarusian interior ministry says, according to the Russian news agency Tass, that has not been made any arrests during Sunday's demonstration.

This does not, however, consistent with reports from eyewitnesses, who reported several arrested. They say that many people in Minsk have been forced into minibuses of unidentified men and driven away.

An ally of the Tikhanovskaja says to Tass, according to the opposition information continues to be about 4000 detainees.

- We demand their release. We also demand the release of political prisoners who were arrested prior to the election, says Maria Kolesnikova to Tass.

Something unusual has the state tv in Belarus, referred to Sunday's demonstration. But it showed no pictures of the posters and signs with criticism of the president.

by Contrast, used the state tv and more time on a speech, Lukashenko held for his followers. It happened at the same place a few hours before the opposition demonstration.

According to the belarusian tv participated 65,000 residents in støttedemonstrationen for Lukashenko, while the AFP writes that, rather there were 10,000 participants.