Maidan

At 19.00 on 16 January (Monday) there will be a demonstration on Kyiv’s Khreshchatyk to mark the DAY OF SOLIDARITY with those who are fighting for freedom and human rights in Belorus.

Hands bound, and bearing pictures of those Belorussian dissidents who have disappeared or suffered repression, as well as Belorussian flags, those taking part will march from the central post office to Prorizna St. On their return, they will light candles and leave them near the sign “Minsk” under the globe on Maidan Nezalezhnosti (Independence Square). The demonstration will take place to the music of Belorussian bands prohibited in their native Belorus.

All who can attend are asked to arrive at 18-50 on Maidan Nezalezhnosti near the globe, opposite the entrance to the post office.

This is the third time that such a demonstration of solidarity has been held in Ukraine. On each occasion we have seen more and more organizations joining the action. This time there will be participants from:

- The Initiative "Solidarnist!" http://www.bilorus.org.ua
- The “Maidan” Alliance http://www.maidan.org.ua
- Майдан International http://www.maidan-int.org
- Amnesty International (Kyiv branch) http://www.amnesty.org.ua
- Representatives of the Belorussian association “Tretiy shlyakh” [“Third Way”] in Ukraineі http://www.3dway.org
- Representatives of the Belorussian Initiative "Chas!" [“It’s time!] http://www.svaboda2006.org
- The Belorussian campaign “Khvatyt!” [“Enough!”]
- The Civic network “Opora” [“Resistance”] http://www.opora.org.ua
- The Civic organization "National Alliance" http://www.national.org.ua
- The Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union http://www.helsinki.org.ua

Demonstrations similar to that in Kyiv will be held in many regional centres of Ukraine, organized by the Civic network “Opora”.

We call on all those who do not wish to look away as human rights, including the very right to life itself, are violated in Belorus to join our action.

Since September 2005, on the 16th of every month at 20.00 in Belorus, people have been turning their lights off and burning a candle in their window.

The sixteenth was chosen in memory of the opposition figure Viktor Honchar and his friend Anatoly Krasovsky abducted on 16 September 1999 in Minsk. Neither was ever seen again. They are not the only victims of Lukashenko’s regime.

Hundreds of thousands of Belorussians will light candles in memory of those who disappeared and in affirmation of their right to freedom and fundamental human rights.

Their action will be supported by people in dozens of other countries of the world.

JOIN THEM!