Belarusian Roma Say Homes Destroyed Ahead Of Festival

The city of Zhlobin in eastern Belarus is preparing to host Dazhynki, an annual harvest festival held in a different town each year. President Alyaksandr Lukashenka traditionally attends the festival, prompting a flurry of repairs and restoration work in the chosen town. But those preparations have been disastrous for a small community of Roma living on the outskirts of Zhlobin. In the clean-up effort, city authorities have demolished seven homes, apparently built without permits, displacing some two dozen people.(RFE/RL's Belarus Service)