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Independent trade unions banned from holding May Day rallies on May 1

The Minsk City Executive Committee has rejected applications for independent trade unions to hold May Day rallies on May 1.

The application for permission to hold a rally in 50th Great October Anniversary Park has been rejected on the grounds that government-organized festivities would be taking place in the park at the scheduled time of the event, Alyaksandr Yarashuk, chairman of the Belarusian Congress of Democratic Trade Unions (BCDTU), told BelaPAN.

“I wasn’t surprised by the city government’s decision because I sought permission for May Day rallies in 2012, 2011 and 2010 and received similar replies,” he said. “Now our activists will try to hold rallies locally. As a rule, local authorities permit them.”

The application for permission to hold a May Day rally in Peoples’ Friendship Park in Bangalore Square has been rejected because of the authorities declared plans to hold a concert there on May 1. The application was filed by the Independent Union of Electronic Industry Workers.

The Spravedlivy Mir party, the Hramada Belarusian Social Democratic Party, the Belarusian Party of the Greens, and the unregistered Belarusian Party of Labor the Belarusian Congress of Democratic Trade Unions filed a separate application for permission to demonstrate in 50th Great October Anniversary Park. Although the city government has not yet provided a reply, it is also likely to be rejected.