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Leftist groups stage demonstration in Minsk on October Revolution anniversary

Representatives of two leftist organizations marked the 93rd anniversary of the October Revolution with a single demonstration in Minsk on Sunday despite differing on Alyaksandr Lukashenka’s rule, BelaPAN said.

Some 50 people gathered on the square in front of the National Academy of Sciences and walked down Surhanava Street to a remote park near Bangalore Square where a rally took place. The events had been authorized by the city authorities.

Speaking at the rally, Leanid Shkolnikaw, leader of the "For the Union and the Union Communist Party" association which is known for firm support for Mr. Lukashenka, warned against foreign interference into Belarus coming presidential election. “We see so far that gross interference into Belarus’ internal affairs continues on the part of the United States, the European Union and oligarchic Russia,” he said. “This is done for the purpose of tearing Belarus away from Russia’s brotherly people, dragging Belarus into NATO. This is unacceptable and Belarus must choose its president itself.”

He stressed that Belarus was the only ex-Soviet state where October Revolution anniversaries were still a state holiday.

Yawhen Kontush, leader of the unregistered National Bolshevik Party of Belarus, drew parallels between the current situation in Belarus and the situation in Russia ahead of the 1917 October Revolution. “Back then the entire power was in the hands of a bunch of people who were swept away by the people. Today the situation in our country is the same; government officials adopt laws ignoring protests from the public. They do not fulfill the people’s will, do not register organizations, political parties. They have usurped power,” he said.

“We need free elections,” Mr. Kontush said. “Let the voter decide himself which ideology - the Socialist, Communist or National Bolshevik is closer to him.”

The crowd adopted a resolution saying that “humankind has no other way to survive and live decently than Socialism.”

The event passed off without incidents.