March 25 – Belarusians Unity Day (photos)
Press conference of the Freedom Day organizers took place in Minsk.
For reference – the Freedom Day (or the Independence Day) is the national Belarusian holiday prohibited by the official authorities. The official Independence Day is celebrated on another day.
The representatives of the organizing committee of the Freedom Day celebration – Alaksandr Milinkievich, Alaksiey Yanukievich, Viktar Ivashkievich, and Vital Rymasheuski – talked to journalists.
The Belarusian Popular Front (BPF) party leader Alaksiey Yanukievich who is the head of the organizing committee on the Freedom Day celebration informed that the application for celebration of March 25 was filed more than two weeks ago. The participants will gather near the Academy of Science at 6 p.m. The application includes the request to allow the march along the Independence avenue (Niezalezhnastsi avenue) and to hold the meeting in the Yanki Kupaly park.
According to the organizing committee head, other entities joined the organizers’ initiative. As of today, one can say the event will be celebrated together with all democratic forces of Belarus. Every political structure calls on its activists to take part in the event.
“It is very important to remind people about the fact that Belarusian independence neither appeared out of the blue in 1991, nor was brought by the Soviet army in 1944. The independence was obtained by Belarusians themselves in 1918. This is our holiday which we should celebrate. Holidays live as long as they are celebrated”, Yanukievich noted.
The Movement for Freedom (the MFF) leader Alaksandr Milinkievich is sure that March 25 should be celebrated at the national level:
“I know that the Freedom Day will be an official national holiday in the free Belarus. Without the proclamation of the Belarusian People’s Republic on March 25, 1918 there would have been no Republic of Belarus now. We shouldn’t celebrate this holiday at the political level alone. This is the day of every person who perceives oneself a Belarusian, and who loves this country. The current authorities won’t protect the independence since they struggle only to preserve themselves. It’s true, the danger of losing the political sovereignty has somewhat decreased as of late. However, the danger of losing the economic independence has risen. Without the economic sovereignty there would be neither freedom, nor national language, nor nation. This day is very important historically, and celebrating this holiday is as important now as it was never before. The people who love their country and history, and understand the value of national culture and language should join in the celebration of the Freedom Day”.
The Belarusian Christian Democracy (BCHD) party co-leader Vital Rymasheuski also called on everyone to join in the celebration of March 25, so that this day becomes “the symbol of unity of the Belarusian nation”. The BCHD co-leader announced the start of signatures collection for the open appeal to the authorities with the proposal to make the key dates of the Belarusian history – March 25 and September 8 (the Martial Glory Day) – the official national holidays. According to Rymasheuski, the main purpose of this initiative is to popularize the information about the important historical events among the wide circle of citizens.
In his address, Viktar Ivashkievich pointed out that one should fight for a better future. There can be no prosperity without freedom and democracy. Freedom can be gained through solidarity. Ivashkievich called on everyone to come to the streets of Minsk on March 25 to express solidarity with the political prisoners and journalists who are persecuted for saying the truth, with the Belarusian Poles whose organization is destroyed, with the members of the independent trade unions who are dismissed from work, with the entrepreneurs, and with everyone who is oppressed by the authorities.
The organizing committee’s representatives told to journalists that Alaksandr Kazulin and Stanislau Shushkievich who couldn’t be present at the press conference are solidary with the declarations voiced, and also call on every unindifferent citizen of Belarus to join in the Freedom Day celebration.
Answering to the questions concerning the holiday programme, Yanukievich informed that celebration will include performances by musicians, swans, poets, etc. Vivid visualization of the celebration will be arranged – numerous flags, balloons, flowers, etc. will be used. If the authorities do not allow going to the centre by means of power methods, the actions of the organizers will depend on the number of participants of the celebration, and on the participants’ mood. At the same time, Yanukievich expressly declared that there will be no march to the Banhalor square (the remote park of Minsk – the only place where independent meetings are sometimes allowed by the authorities).
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