OP-ED

Doug Klain: Belarus uprising enters dangerous new phase

Published Oct. 31, 2020 at 12:26 am

A protestor standing on the roof of the car waves a former white-red-white flag of Belarus as opposition supporters parade though the streets in Minsk, on October 25, 2020, on the final day of an ultimatum set by the opposition for their embattled strongman leader to resign after months of mass protests.

Photo by AFP

The uprising in Belarus against dictator Alyaksandr Lukashenka’s 26-year reign entered a dangerous new phase this week. Recent days have witnessed calls for a general strike along with mass arrests, border closures, and escalating state violence as both sides seek to break the stalemate in a crisis that has threatened to transform the geopolitical balance in the entire region.