Adopted: 27 July 1990
The date celebarates Belarus' 1990 declaration of sovereignty from the Soviet Union. Belarus' pro-Soviet, pro-Russian authoritarian government does not recognize the holiday and habitually denies permission for public events to remember the day.
- Belarus - Declaration of Sovereignty on "International Constitutional Law" Web site (Switzerland)
News Article: Independence Day "Celebrated" in Minsk: July 27, 2007
"An hour before the appointed near the Red Catholic Church meeting with the deputies of the Supreme Soviet of the 12th Convening at the entrances of the Nyamiga and Kupalauskaya metro stations reinforced militia groups were notices."
"Close to 4 p.m. the buses of the 100 route passed by their usual stop in the Nezavisimosti Square. The corresponding metro station entrances were blocked by the militia squads. Later the order was given to the militiamen over the radiophone to block the square totally."
"By the time around 50 people accompanied by the journalists had already come to the square .Vintsuk Vyachorka, Syargei Scrabets were interviewed by the journalists. Writer Mikhail Sodal, human rights activist Tatstsyana Protska, granddaughter of the well-known Belarusian historian Anton Lutskevich, youth activists. It became known that the United Democratic Party leader Anatol Lyabedzka and the deputy chairman of the BNF Viktar Ivashkevich had been detained on their way to the square. The well-known policymaker Yuri Khadika also failed to get to the square. It was reported that the youth in t-shirts with the national symbols was stopped by the militia near the square."
"After receiving the order to vacate the square the militiamen whose number was comparable with the number of the action participants rapidly forced the people to Berson Street. They split into small groups and continued moving along Nyamiga Street to the Yanki Kupali Park."
Near the poet’s monument those who intended to lay the flowers were waited by many plain-clothes men. There was a grey bus in the park. It was surrounded by the people talking over the radiophones. Step-by-step people with flowers started appearing. Elderly women from the Conservative Christian Party of the BNF started singing Belarusian songs. Leader of the European Coalition Mikalai Statkevich approached the monument to the Belarusian poet. Other people followed his example. Suddenly the militia ranks appear from behind the monument. They decisively started forcing the people out of the park and escorted the action participants along Yanki Kupali Street to Maksim Bagdanovich Street."
"In the Bangalore Square the action was not held. Only three buses with militia were noticed there. Anatol Lyabedzka, Viktar Ivashkevich and other detained in the course of the today’s action were released but Franak Vyachorka. At present Franak Vyachorka is kept at the militia department of the Zavadskoy district. The report on his actions was made and he is likely to be guarded to the remand jail in Okrestin Street. That was reported to the Charter ‘97 press-center by the human rights activist Uladzimir Labkovich."
Source: Charter 97, News, July 27, 2007
"The biggest banner was stretched between two multi-story buildings on Vrublevskogo Street. It was not until about 10 a.m. that the police and firefighters tore down the flags, which were the official symbol of the nation before an Aleksandr Lukashenko-initiated referendum in [May] 1995."
"Two street demonstrations were staged in Grodno on July 27 by the Belarusian Popular Front with the participation of local activists of the Belarusian Social Democratic Party and the Belarusian Social Democratic Hramada"
"Demonstrations also took place in the nearby towns of Voronovo and Volkovysk."
"The demonstrators began their march from the courtyard of Belarusian State University. Each person was carrying a big letter, which formed the slogan "Zhyvie Belarus" (Long Live Belarus)."
"From the university courtyard the demonstratos marched to Independence Square, where they intended to stop for picketing a government building. But uniform and plainclothes police officers took away the letters. Then the group marched along Skaryna Avenue, Minsk's main thoroughfare, making stops near the buildings of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Committee for State Security (KGB). Police officers threatened to arrest them for staging an unsanctioned protest."
"Afterward, the marchers headed for the building of the Presidential Administration, which was sealed off by the police. They approached the building from another side, formed a white-red-white line and had their photo taken. Then they traveled by the underground to the Belarusian Popular Front office, and from there, they walked to the Russian Embassy to deliver a petition. The demonstrators were escorted by police all the way. Embassy officials refused to take the petition, saying that it could be sent by fax."
"Malady Front Chairman Pavel Severinets, one of the marchers, said that by refusing to take the petition, the embassy showed its attitude to Belarus' independence. The petition said, 'Thanks to gaining sovereignty, we have started to live feeling ourselves citizens of our native country, without unhealthy imperial ambitions and great-power chauvinism.' "
News Article: Two Demonstrators Detained by Police in Homel (Gomel)
"Two young persons, Yekaterina Gorevaya and Igor Romanov, attempted to stage a demonstration near the building of the Gomel regional government. They unfolded signs with greetings on Independence Day and against the establishment of a fascist regime in the country. The demonstration was stopped by police after half an hour and its participants were taken to a police station."
"The date used to be an official holiday, Independence Day. In 1996, Aleksandr Lukashenko used a controversial national referendum to bring the holiday forward to July 3 [2000], the date of the liberation of Minsk from the Nazis."
"The press office of the Belarusian Popular Front (BPF) reported that a conference was organized in Minsk on the occasion of the anniversary. BPF Chairman Vintsuk Vyachorka delivered a report to the gathering."
"A group of activists of Malady Front, the youth organization associated with the BPF, marched through the center of Minsk making stops near public buildings for picketing. More than 300 people turned out for a rock concert, which was organized by Malady Front on the outskirts of Minsk in the evening."
"In Mogilyov, dozens of white-red-white flags were hung out in public places. However, the plan of holding a festive rally and a concert at a local palace of culture was foiled by the authorities, the BPF press office said. More than 70 people who gathered for the concert marched through the city center, waving white-red-white flags. Dozens of police officers watched the demonstration, but no one was arrested. Opposition activists in Grodno marked the anniversary by several small demonstrations, a festive rally and a concert."
"Demonstrations, rallies, and other events were staged in the towns of Novopolotsk in the Vitebsk region, Zaslavl in the Minsk region, Volkovysk and Voronovo in the Hrodna (Grodno) region, and near Logoisk in the Minsk region."
"The authorities banned demonstrations in Brest, Beryoza and Pinsk in the Brest region, Maryina Gorka in the Minsk region, and Budo-Koshelevo in the Gomel region. In Molodechno in the Minsk region, several people were detained by police for an attempt to hold a rally in the town's park."
"Police prevented demonstrations in Bobruisk in the Mogilyov region and Baranovichi in the Brest region."
"In Gomel, several young people demonstrated on one of the central squares. Displaying signs and white-red-white flags, they were passing out postcards with greetings. The demonstration lasted for about an hour and did not meet with counteraction from police. Two youths were arrested for an attempt to picket the building of the regional government. They were charged with staging an unsanctioned demonstration and will stand trial on Monday."
News Article: Two Demonstrators in Homel (Gomel) Face Charges Under Administrative Offenses Code
"The day on which Belarus adopted its Declaration of Sovereignty in 1990 is still celebrated by some as Independence Day, although Aleksandr Lukashenko has moved the holiday to July 3 through a national referendum in 1996. Yekaterina Gorevaya and Igor Romanov marked it by picketing the building of the regional government."
"They held placards in favor of national independence and against the Lukashenko regime and ignored security, who urged them to leave and finally called the police. The youngsters spent about two hours at a police station. Both were released but are expected to stand trial on July 31."