Uprising Of Dignity

Five years ago tens of thousands of people gathered on the Square.

On December 19, 2010 a mass protest rally against the rigged results of the elections was held in Minsk.
Charter97.org website asked people directly involved in the events and former political prisoners to tell what this day means to them.
Andrei Sannikov, the leader of the European Belarus civil campaign, a presidential candidate in the elections – 2010:
“I am very pleased that all the people who were defendants in the derisive trials held after December 19, 2010 are finally released, in particular, Mikalai Statkevich. It is probably the most joyful thing which could be said on the 5th anniversary of the Square.
It is obvious that it was a moment of a real people’s elation, which had been caused by the political campaign of the year 2010. Unfortunately, that proved to be impossible to repeat in Belarus up to this moment, and not only because crackdown and apathy. Tragic events have taken place in the neighbouring country – the war between Ukraine and Russia.

What transpired and became visible then – resentment against the regime – remains the same at the moment as well. The attitude of Belarusians to Lukashenka has not changed. We came to the Square in order to change the situation. This year people haven’t gone to the polls in a hope to change the situation as well. The onward movement, which is to bring us to changes, continues.
The same mobilization like in 2010 is needed today. There are all conditions for that. it is obvious that the life in Belarus is getting only worse, the economy is eroding, no promises of the dictatorship, even minimal ones, are carried out. We should take the history in our hands and change the life.
I can say that I still feel gratitude to those who gathered on the Square then, I know that Belarusians are ready to repeat that. We do not have much time to save the country. It should be done right now.”
Natallia Radzina, editor-in-chief of charter97.org:
“Western journalists often ask me the same question: “If you had a chance to return to the day of December 19. 2010, what would you do?” I always answer that I would come to the Square, even knowing that beating, jail, tortures and forced emigration were to follow. I would feel ashamed for myself and for my nation, if it were not for this uprising against the regime, terrorizing Belarus for the last two decades.
Ukrainians are calling the Euromaidan the Revolution of Dignity. In 2010 we also had the Uprising of Dignity. People who took to the streets then, started to respect themselves, and made the world to respect the Belarusian nation.
I am sure that the struggle of Belarusians against the dictator is still to express itself in a mass street protest, as in the conditions of tyranny changes could take place only in this way.”

Dzmitry Drozd, a historian, a participant of the Square - 2010 and a former political prisoner:
“It was one of the most significant events for me. Everything that has happened in Belarus over the last five years, was a result of the Square, which changed our life, out attitude to life itself. This event is one of the most significant ones, not only in fates of its participants, but in the modern history of Belarus.
For those who had experienced that, and felt it in the lives of the loved ones, nothing left its significance since the day of the Square in 2010.”

Zmitser Bandarenka, a coordinator of European Belarus civil campaign:
“In 2012, after my release from prison, I had a public discussion with a bastard (I cannot call him by any other word) from Tell the Truth campaign. He was shouting to me: “You, Sannikov’s team, and your Square are a failure.” I answered to him that “for you, for the KGB and Lukashenka, the Square is really frightening, and for us and for most Belarusians, the Square is an event we can only be proud of.”
It’s human nature that people like adventure films and action films. And it happens so in the history of present-day Europe, that the historic events, which allowed avoiding violence, or when one side deliberately renounced the use of force, do not receive deserved recognition sometimes. And only decades after, the understanding of the immensity of these events comes.
Among these events could be names the Belavezha Accords, which allowed avoiding the war between the nuclear states, Russia and Ukraine, the round table in Poland, Maidan in Kyiv in 2004, the Square in Minsk in 2006 and 2010. Due to their fear and weakness maniac dictators often resort to the use of force. People, who are strong spiritually and are sure that they are right, try to find common ground, in order to avoid death and violence. And today, 5 years after the events of December 19, 2010, the force of thousands of Belarusians, who rallied on the Square, wisdom of real opposition leaders, like Sannikov, as well as historical pettiness of Lukashenka and his collective farm’s gang, are evident.
Building of the new Belarusian nation is taking place exactly through the Square.”

Kilde:  http://charter97.org/en/news/2015/12/19/183438/