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Six people arrested in police crackdown on demonstration against controversial Internet edict

Six Belarusian followers of Russia’s National Bolshevik Party (Nazbol) were arrested in a police crackdown on an unsanctioned demonstration staged in Minsk on Wednesday evening against Alyaksandr Lukashenka’s Internet edict, BelaPAN reports.

Opposition groups and independent experts fear that the edict, which takes effect on July 1, will tighten the government’s control over the Internet.

At 7 p.m., the six young men formed a line in downtown Liberty Square, displaying signs that said, "Freedom to Internet." They wore T-shirts emblazoned with the same slogan and a crossed circle that said, "Edict No. 60."

Three minutes later, riot police officers arrived at the scene and ordered the group to follow them into a prisoner van. One of the demonstrators apparently refused and was dragged and carried into the vehicle. During the crackdown, policemen interfered with journalists, blocking their photo and video cameras from operating.

The protesters were driven to the Tsentralny district police department.

The Minsk city government had prohibited Nazbol activists from staging the demonstration.

About 50 people gathered in Minsk's remote Bangalore Square on June 10 for a sanctioned rally against the controversial Internet edict, which takes effect on July 1. The application for permission to hold the rally was also filed by Nazbol activists.