President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko called for “putting in place” private business, which financially helps protesters and tries to influence political processes, Interfax reports.
According to him, “private traders” need to understand that in politics “rules and laws” are different than in the market. The President also called for the eradication of business that conducts “non-state policy”. “We need to put the squeeze on this situation and put in place all these intermediaries and traders, they should not profit from the labor of the peasants,” Lukashenka said.
He added that the catalyst for the protests in the country was the youth, who “chuckle in Mercedes” and thereby stir up the interest of the majority in the change of power in the republic. “That’s the point,” the Belarusian leader concluded.
In Belarus, protests have continued for the seventh month after the presidential elections on August 9, 2020. The actions are harshly suppressed by the police and riot police. Tens of thousands of people were detained, and many spoke of torture and beatings in isolation wards. Four people were killed in clashes with security forces, dozens were sentenced to imprisonment.
Belarusian entrepreneurs often joined the actions of solidarity with the protesters. They hung opposition symbols at their outlets and helped the demonstrators to hide from the riot police. In response, the security forces smashed shop windows and held businessmen accountable for participating in unauthorized actions.