Belarusians Mark 'Freedom Day' By Supporting Ukraine
MINSK -- At least 1,000 Belarusian activists have marched in the country's capital, Minsk, to mark the anniversary of the short-lived Belarusian Popular Republic, which existed in 1919.
Known as Freedom Day, participants in the annual event on March 25 held large white-red-white flags banned by government officials because of their association with Belarus's democratic opposition.
Marchers also sang Belarusian and Ukrainian songs, expressing support for Kyiv's efforts to stop Russian-backed separatists who control some parts of eastern Ukraine.
Some demonstrators held Ukrainian flags and posters saying "The Hague Tribunal for Putin!" and chanted "Putin is a fascist."
Minsk city authorities had disallowed the march in previous years when the procession ended with numerous arrests and trials.
There was no official comment on why the march was allowed to take place this year.
Minsk authorities only asked the march organizers to pay about a $1,000 fee and police urged participants not to cover their faces with scarves.
More on the dramatic arrests today in Kyiv, via our newsroom:
Ukraine Police Detain Top Official At Televised Government Session
And cue the video:
Here's Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk's tweet announcing the detentions of the emergency-services' director, Serhiy Bochkovskiy, and his deputy Vasyl Stoyetskiy for alleged corruption.
Reuters on a breaking story:
Ukrainian police entered a televised government meeting in Kiev on Wednesday and, in front of TV cameras, detained two high-ranking officials from the state emergency services on suspicion of involvement in high-level corruption.
Interior Minister Arsen Avakov said the two men - the head of the emergencies services and his first deputy - were being detained for taking part in corruption involving off-shore companies.
In what was clearly a staged move to capture maximum publicity for the government's drive against corruption, Prime Minister Arseny Yatseniuk said: "When the country is at war and when we are counting every penny - they steal from people and the state. This will happen to everyone who breaks the law and sneers at the Ukrainian state."
Latest situation map from the Ukrainian military authorities:
