On 16 February demonstrations of support for democratic transformation in Belarus were held once again in most cities throughout Poland. The campaigns were organized by Polish non-governmental organizations. Their participants called on the president of Belarus to ensure that the elections scheduled for 19 March are free and democratic. (24-FEB-06)

Around 200 people demonstrated in Warsaw chanting slogans “Free Elections – free Belarus”, “No one will suppress Belarus”. The demonstrators presented the representative of the Polish government, Secretary of State Adam Lipiñski, with a petition calling for the application of pressure on EU countries to develop a common policy towards Belarus. After the demonstration a concert of the Belarusian group Neuro Dubel, which is banned from performing in Belarus, and the Polish group Big Cyc took place at the club Remont. The Warsaw campaign was organized by the organizations Union for Democracy in Belarus (ZDB) and Free Belarus Initiative.

Showing solidarity
Pickets, happenings and demonstrations showing solidarity with the Belarusian opposition also took place in Krakow, Lodz, Bialystok, Lublin, Gorzow Wielkopolski, Kalisz, Poznan, Wroclaw and Hajnowka.  A month earlier, on 16 January, the streets of Polish cities were the stage of demonstrations of solidarity with Belarus, during which the participants demanded that as many observers as possible were delegated to oversee the Belarusian elections. 

More information in Polish and Belarusian: www.wolnabialorus.org or www.wolnabialorus.pl