When: Monday, 19. December 2011 16:30
Where: London, elarusian Embassy, 6 Kensington Court, W8 5DL
Host: Index on Censorship, Free Belarus Now
More info: www.englishpen.org/events/penevents/19decemberoneyearon-ademonstrationforbelarus/
On this day a year ago around 50,000 Belarusians gathered peacefully to demonstrate against the unfair election. They were met with violent oppression.
Around 2,000 people were arrested and detained en masse in Minsk. There are still 16 political prisoners who are kept under appalling conditions and are understood to be routinely tortured. Two of these are presidential candidates Andrei Sannikov and Nicolai Statkevich.
We will be outside the Belarusian Embassy from 4.30pm to take part in a candlelit vigil to show solidarity with those still detained. It is vital that we show the Lukashenko regime that these political prisoners have not and will not be forgotten, so please do come to show your support if you can, and encourage friends and colleagues to join you.
During the vigil, prominent British artists will be delivering an artists’ manifesto, signed by, amongst others, Tom Stoppard, Eric Fischl and Sam West, in which they call for the immediate release of all detained political prisoners. If you are interested in being a signatory to the manifesto, please contact cat@englishpen.org for further details.
“We call upon the power of art to disturb the sleep of conscience” – The artists’ manifesto
