Preventive arrests
The Love Fest is a celebration traditionally staged on Minsk streets by Young Front. Activists of registered in Czech Republic youth organisation usually gather on squares and avenues congratulating passers-by, giving out small gifts and singing songs. Peaceful demonstrations of this kind, dedicated to Valentine’s Day, were annually happening in Minsk and other Belarusian cities.  

Young Front activists planned to hold the Fest in Minsk on St Valentine’s Day February 14. At 6 p.m., when oppositionists began to gather at Freedom square, they found there dozens of riot policemen and prisoner transport vehicles parked in near by yards.

However, arrests began even earlier that day. Leader of BPF Youth Andrei Krachko, activists of the organization Pavel Chuduk, Anton Koipish, and deputy head of the Belarusian Christian Democracy Dzyanis Kabrusyou were detained in the city centre an hour before. They were giving away Valentine’s Day cards.

Brutal crack down
However, the brutal crack down began at 6 p.m. on Freedom square. As soon as 30 Young Front unfurled banners “Love Fest” and “Young Front”, riot policemen attacked them, snatched flags, arrested the demonstrators. Beating the detainees, they pushed them into buses.

However, Ivan Shyla, deputy head of Young Front, managed to honour this year’s Love Belarus award winner Mikhail Pashkevich. A leader of United Civic Party’s youth wing was acknowledged for his work in organising the alternative service campaign. Initially, Young Front was planning to hold the award ceremony in Crowne Plaza Hotel but the hotel management cancel previous arrangements. Young activists and journalists had to hold festivities on the street.

The young activists who managed to escape initial detention, moved to the Cathedral Church shouting “Long Live Belarus!” and signing “God Almighty”. Riot policemen attacked them too and pushed into police vans. According to Charter97 around 25 people were arrested. They were transferred to one of police precincts in central Minsk and released three hours later. Mikhail Pashkevich’s award, a rye seed statue, was confiscated by police.