As most of the world shelters from the novel coronavirus, tens of thousands of brave protesters have been marching through the streets of Minsk and Bangkok for the past several months, defying water cannons, rubber bullets, and the risk of imprisonment — or disease. They are demanding the ouster of their autocratic rulers — Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus and Prayuth Chan-ocha of Thailand — and hoping that, like the “people power” movements of dozens of other countries, they will achieve democracy.
Protests in Belarus
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Belarusian pensioners argue with a law enforcement officer during a rally to demand the resignation of authoritarian leader and new fair election in Minsk on Oct. 12, 2020.
