themoscowtimes--2020-10-18--Tens of Thousands March in Belarus Despite Police Threat to Open Fire

Some protesters chanted `` Strike ! ''
and `` You and your riot police get out ! ''
Protesters took to the streets despite threats by police this week to use lethal force from now on `` if necessary . ''
Crowds of demonstrators waving red-and-white opposition flags descended on a gritty industrial neighbourhood in southeast Minsk for a march along Partisan Prospect , a key transport artery and home to a number of factories .
Belarusian police on Sunday detained more than 200 people as tens of thousands marched against strongman Alexander Lukashenko in defiance of police threats to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Belarusian authorities deployed military trucks and water cannon but police largely refrained from using riot control equipment on Sunday .
Belarusian interior ministry spokeswoman Olga Chemodanova told AFP that members of law enforcement fired off rubber bullets as a warning to protesters who threw stones at police .
Chemodanova said that more than 200 people were arrested , most of them in Minsk .
The ex-Soviet nation has been gripped by historic protests after Lukashenko claimed victory in August 9 elections over Svetlana Tikhanovskaya , a popular opposition candidate .
Protester Anzhela Krasovskaya @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ' threats to use live ammunition .
`` There 's no way back for us , '' Krasovskaya told AFP .
`` If they start shooting then there would be even more people in the streets . ''
Pensioner Maria Petrovich said demonstrations would continue until Lukashenko quits .
`` The level of violence perpetrated by the authorities is unprecedented , '' she told AFP .
Phone networks were heavily disrupted , and mobile operator MTS Belarus said it had been ordered to limit access to `` ensure national security '' .
Tikhanovskaya @ @ @ @ @ @ @ member Lithuania after the vote , has called on Lukashenko to quit power before October 25 , warning he would otherwise face a crippling general strike .
Ahead of Sunday 's protest , the 38-year-old urged Belarusians to press ahead with their demands .
`` We will stop only when every political prisoner walks free , when members of law enforcement begin to defend the people , and rule of law and honest elections return to Belarus , '' Tikhanovskaya said .
The Nexta Live channel on social-media platform Telegram , which has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ solidarity with workers during the protest , dubbed the `` March of Partisans . ''
`` We , descendants of glorious warriors and partisans , are worthy of our forefathers who already defeated fascism once , '' the channel said in a message to its more than two million subscribers .
The protest movement has kept up a series of large-scale demonstrations for the past two months , with 100,000 people or more taking to the streets every Sunday .
Tikhanovskaya , who maintains she won the August polls , says Lukashenko must @ @ @ @ @ @ @ terror . ''

Belarusian police on Sunday detained more than 200 people as tens of thousands marched against strongman Alexander Lukashenko in defiance of police threats to open fire after weeks of demonstrations. Crowds of demonstrators waving red-and-white opposition flags descended on a gritty industrial neighbourhood in southeast Minsk for a march along Partisan Prospect, a key transport artery and home to a number of factories. Protesters took to the streets despite threats by police this week to use lethal force from now on "if necessary." Some protesters chanted "Strike!" and "You and your riot police get out!"
Вот еще один ракурс на колонну протестующих, которая идет по Партизанскому проспекту. pic.twitter.com/SEVaL9xFjE — TUT.BY (@tutby) October 18, 2020
Belarusian authorities deployed military trucks and water cannon but police largely refrained from using riot control equipment on Sunday. Belarusian interior ministry spokeswoman Olga Chemodanova told AFP that members of law enforcement fired off rubber bullets as a warning to protesters who threw stones at police. Chemodanova said that more than 200 people were arrested, most of them in Minsk. The ex-Soviet nation has been gripped by historic protests after Lukashenko claimed victory in August 9 elections over Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, a popular opposition candidate. Protester Anzhela Krasovskaya said she was not afraid of authorities' threats to use live ammunition. "There's no way back for us," Krasovskaya told AFP. "If they start shooting then there would be even more people in the streets." 'Unprecedented violence' Pensioner Maria Petrovich said demonstrations would continue until Lukashenko quits. "The level of violence perpetrated by the authorities is unprecedented," she told AFP. Phone networks were heavily disrupted, and mobile operator MTS Belarus said it had been ordered to limit access to "ensure national security". Tikhanovskaya, who was granted shelter in EU member Lithuania after the vote, has called on Lukashenko to quit power before October 25, warning he would otherwise face a crippling general strike. Ahead of Sunday's protest, the 38-year-old urged Belarusians to press ahead with their demands. "We will stop only when every political prisoner walks free, when members of law enforcement begin to defend the people, and rule of law and honest elections return to Belarus," Tikhanovskaya said. 'Descendants of glorious warriors' The Nexta Live channel on social-media platform Telegram, which has coordinated protesters, urged Belarusians to express solidarity with workers during the protest, dubbed the "March of Partisans." "We, descendants of glorious warriors and partisans, are worthy of our forefathers who already defeated fascism once," the channel said in a message to its more than two million subscribers. During World War II, Nazi-occupied Belarus had Europe's largest partisan movement. The protest movement has kept up a series of large-scale demonstrations for the past two months, with 100,000 people or more taking to the streets every Sunday. Tikhanovskaya, who maintains she won the August polls, says Lukashenko must release political prisoners and halt "state terror."
news Belarus Police Threaten to Use Firearms on Protesters Read more


themoscowtimes--2020-10-19--2 Russian MMA Fighters Praise French Teacher’s Decapitation – Reports

Police shot dead 18-year-old suspect Abdullakh Anzorov in a Paris suburb Friday after he posted a photo of 47-year-old history teacher Samuel Paty ’ s severed head on his now-suspended Twitter account .
Paty had received threats for showing his students cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed as part of a class discussion on freedom of expression .
Two Russian MMA fighters , Zelim Imadaev and Albert Duraev , have shown support for the decapitation of a French teacher by a Chechen refugee this weekend , reports said .
According to Russian sports reporter Alexander Lyutikov ’ s Instagram post Sunday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” and Duraev joked that “ freedom of speech has lost its beginning in France.
” Both Imadaev and Anzorov were born in Russia 's majority Muslim republic of Chechnya .
Depictions of the Prophet Mohammed are prohibited in the Muslim faith .
“ These statements were made in [ Instagram ] stories and are meant to disappear soon , so I decided to save them here , ” Lyutikov wrote .
Neither Instagram story was visible as of Monday , and Lyutikov said the social media company had blocked his post for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russian imageboards have circulated screenshots of Imadaev and Anzorov ’ s statements on the Telegram messaging app .
Imadaev , 25 , has logged three losses as a UFC fighter .
Duraev , 31 , is a former welterweight and middleweight champion of the Chechnya-based Absolute Championship Akhmat ( ACA ) organization who was awaiting entry into the UFC this year .
UFC ’ s website restricted access to Imadaev ’ s profile while other Chechen fighters ’ profiles are still publicly available .

Police shot dead 18-year-old suspect Abdullakh Anzorov in a Paris suburb Friday after he posted a photo of 47-year-old history teacher Samuel Paty’s severed head on his now-suspended Twitter account. Paty had received threats for showing his students cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed as part of a class discussion on freedom of expression.
Two Russian MMA fighters, Zelim Imadaev and Albert Duraev, have shown support for the decapitation of a French teacher by a Chechen refugee this weekend, reports said.
According to Russian sports reporter Alexander Lyutikov’s Instagram post Sunday, Imadaev called Anzorov a “hero” and Duraev joked that “freedom of speech has lost its beginning in France.”
Both Imadaev and Anzorov were born in Russia's majority Muslim republic of Chechnya. Depictions of the Prophet Mohammed are prohibited in the Muslim faith.
“These statements were made in [Instagram] stories and are meant to disappear soon, so I decided to save them here,” Lyutikov wrote.
Neither Instagram story was visible as of Monday, and Lyutikov said the social media company had blocked his post for violating its community guidelines on violence.
Russian imageboards have circulated screenshots of Imadaev and Anzorov’s statements on the Telegram messaging app.
Imadaev, 25, has logged three losses as a UFC fighter.
Duraev, 31, is a former welterweight and middleweight champion of the Chechnya-based Absolute Championship Akhmat (ACA) organization who was awaiting entry into the UFC this year.
UFC’s website restricted access to Imadaev’s profile while other Chechen fighters’ profiles are still publicly available.


themoscowtimes--2020-10-19--Moscow Mayor: Return to Full Lockdown ‘Impossible’

The epicenter of Russia ’ s Covid-19 outbreak , Moscow confirmed 5,376 new infections in the past 24 hours and almost 367,000 since the start of the pandemic .
The city 's daily cases have seen a nearly sevenfold increase in the past month , though the latest figures are still below the all-time high of 6,703 cases confirmed on May 11 .
Moscow will not return to a full coronavirus lockdown like it did in spring as long as residents abide by current restrictions , Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said Monday as new cases continued to rise .
“ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more stringent measures , although specific targeted decisions can ’ t be ruled out , ” Mayor Sobyanin wrote on his website .
“ Extreme measures are curfew , complete movement ban , entry and exit ban and the closure of almost all businesses , ” Sobyanin said .
“ These are absolutely unacceptable and impossible for us.
” The government imposed unpopular self-isolation rules and travel restrictions in late March , which it gradually lifted in June .
In recent weeks , Muscovites older than 65 and those suffering from chronic illnesses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , employers have been required to switch 30 % of their staff to remote work and middle- and high schoolers have resumed distance learning .
City Hall has also stepped up the enforcement of mask and glove rules in the Moscow metro and required clubs and bars to register visitors and scan their QR codes in order to slow the spread of Covid-19 .
Sobyanin wrote that around half of Moscow ’ s 12.5 million residents are now in self-isolation , allowing the other half to travel to work with a reduced risk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strategy is to find a middle way between closing the city and completely abandoning restrictive measures , ” the mayor said .
Russia has confirmed a total of 1,415,316 coronavirus cases , the fourth-highest number in the world .

The epicenter of Russia’s Covid-19 outbreak, Moscow confirmed 5,376 new infections in the past 24 hours and almost 367,000 since the start of the pandemic. The city's daily cases have seen a nearly sevenfold increase in the past month, though the latest figures are still below the all-time high of 6,703 cases confirmed on May 11.
Moscow will not return to a full coronavirus lockdown like it did in spring as long as residents abide by current restrictions, Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said Monday as new cases continued to rise.
“I don’t see the need for more stringent measures, although specific targeted decisions can’t be ruled out,” Mayor Sobyanin wrote on his website.
“Extreme measures are curfew, complete movement ban, entry and exit ban and the closure of almost all businesses,” Sobyanin said. “These are absolutely unacceptable and impossible for us.”
The government imposed unpopular self-isolation rules and travel restrictions in late March, which it gradually lifted in June.
In recent weeks, Muscovites older than 65 and those suffering from chronic illnesses have been strongly advised to stay home, employers have been required to switch 30% of their staff to remote work and middle- and high schoolers have resumed distance learning.
City Hall has also stepped up the enforcement of mask and glove rules in the Moscow metro and required clubs and bars to register visitors and scan their QR codes in order to slow the spread of Covid-19.
Sobyanin wrote that around half of Moscow’s 12.5 million residents are now in self-isolation, allowing the other half to travel to work with a reduced risk of getting infected.
“The optimal strategy is to find a middle way between closing the city and completely abandoning restrictive measures,” the mayor said.
Russia has confirmed a total of 1,415,316 coronavirus cases, the fourth-highest number in the world.


themoscowtimes--2020-10-19--Belarus Moves Detained U.S. Analyst to House Arrest — Lawyer

Vitali Shkliarov , a Harvard University fellow who has advised presidential candidates in U.S. , Russia and Ukraine , was detained on July 29 just over a week ahead of Aug. 9 presidential elections that Lukashenko claims to have won but which the opposition says were rigged .
The authorities in Belarus have moved to house arrest a high-profile American political analyst and strategist held for over two-and-a-half months in jail as President Alexander Lukashenko cracks down on opponents , his lawyer said on Monday .
`` I managed to speak to Vitali , he has been transferred to house @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told AFP .
Shkliarov was one of a group of detainees who earlier this month met Lukashenko in a bizarre meeting conducted inside the KGB security service prison where they are being held .
The strategist , who was born in the Belarusian city of Gomel , worked on both Barack Obama 's and Bernie Sanders 's presidential campaigns .
He has been charged with organizing actions violating public order .
The election was followed by a remorseless crackdown on the opposition , with all the main challengers to Lukashenko either being arrested @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lukashenko have continued , despite a police threat to open fire on the demonstrators .
U.S. ambassador to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe ( OSCE ) , James Gilmore , had earlier this month called for Shkliarov 's immediate release and complained that he had been subjected to `` extreme psychological pressure and physical abuse . ''
His wife Heather Shkliarov , an American diplomat preparing for a posting to Kiev , had also expressed grave concern about his health in a statement quoted by U.S. media in September .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ situation in Belarus ahead of the election .
Writing in the Russian version of Forbes in July , days before his arrest , he said Lukashenko 's election campaign was based on `` populism and crude force . ''
Belarus authorities had accused Shkliarov of working for an opposition hopeful in the election campaign but U.S. officials and his family have said he was simply targeted for speaking out against Lukashenko .

Vitali Shkliarov, a Harvard University fellow who has advised presidential candidates in the U.S., Russia and Ukraine, was detained on July 29 ahead of Aug. 9 presidential elections that Lukashenko claims to have won but which the opposition says were rigged.
The authorities in Belarus have moved to house arrest a high-profile American political analyst and strategist held for over two-and-a-half months in jail as President Alexander Lukashenko cracks down on opponents, his lawyer said on Monday.
"I managed to speak to Vitali, he has been transferred to house arrest," his lawyer Anton Gashinsky told AFP.
Shkliarov was one of a group of detainees who earlier this month met Lukashenko in a bizarre meeting conducted inside the KGB security service prison where they are being held.
The Belarusian opposition's Coordination Council said on Monday that its member Liliya Vlasova — who was also present at the prison meeting -- had also been released from detention and moved to house arrest.
The Coordination Council added that "only the release of all political prisoners" could help achieve a settlement of the political crisis.
Shkliarov, who was born in the Belarusian city of Gomel, worked on both Barack Obama's and Bernie Sanders's presidential campaigns.
He has been charged with organizing actions violating public order.
The election was followed by a remorseless crackdown on the opposition, with all the main challengers to Lukashenko either being arrested or leaving the country.
Protests against Lukashenko have persisted, despite a police threat to open fire on the demonstrators.
U.S. ambassador to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), James Gilmore, had earlier this month called for Shkliarov's immediate release and complained that he had been subjected to "extreme psychological pressure and physical abuse."
His wife Heather Shkliarov, an American diplomat preparing for a posting to Kiev, had also expressed grave concern about his health in a statement quoted by U.S. media in September.
- 'Populism and crude force' -
Shkliarov had been actively commenting on the situation in Belarus ahead of the election. Writing in the Russian version of Forbes in July, days before his arrest, he said Lukashenko's election campaign was based on "populism and crude force."
Opponents of Lukashenko say the true winner of the polls was Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, who has since taken refuge in neighboring Lithuania.
Belarus authorities had accused Shkliarov of working for an opposition hopeful in the election campaign but U.S. officials and his family have said he was simply targeted for speaking out against Lukashenko.
Lukashenko's Oct. 10 meeting with his jailed opponents intrigued observers, who wondered if it marked a more conciliatory approach by the strongman. However security forces are still cracking down on protests.
The most prominent jailed figure present at that meeting was former banker Viktor Babaryko, once considered Lukashenko's most serious rival in the poll campaign, but who was arrested in the run-up to the election. He remains in prison.
One key figure not present at the prison meeting with Lukashenko was Maria Kolesnikova, a close ally of Tikhanovskaya. Belarus opposition media reported that she had turned down the invitation.


themoscowtimes--2020-10-19--Russia Sets One-Day Coronavirus Record With Nearly 16K Cases

The latest one-day record comes as Russia for the first time since the start of the pandemic confirmed more than 100,000 Covid-19 cases within a week .
Russia confirmed 15,982 new Covid-19 cases Monday , bringing its official number of cases to 1,415,316 and breaking the country 's record for new infections .
Russia ’ s national coronavirus information center said that more than one-quarter of the new cases are asymptomatic .
A total of 179 people have died from Covid-19 in the past 24 hours .
Russia ’ s official death toll stands at 24,366 .
Moscow confirmed 5,376 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ daily cases since recording 5,392 on May 12 .
The city remains the epicenter of Russia ’ s Covid-19 outbreak with 367,629 confirmed infections .
Starting Monday , the Moscow metro began enforcing mask and glove mandates , while nighttime establishments will begin scanning visitors ’ QR codes to control the spread of Covid-19 .
Moscow City Hall has suggested that it could expand the QR codes to restaurants , retail stores and beauty salons if the experiment with clubs and bars proves successful .
Mayor Sergei Sobyanin has meanwhile ruled out curfews @ @ @ @ @ @ @ closures as “ absolutely unacceptable and impossible .
”

The latest one-day record comes as Russia for the first time since the start of the pandemic confirmed more than 100,000 Covid-19 cases within a week.
Russia confirmed 15,982 new Covid-19 cases Monday, bringing its official number of cases to 1,415,316 and breaking the country's record for new infections.
Russia’s national coronavirus information center said that more than one-quarter of the new cases are asymptomatic.
A total of 179 people have died from Covid-19 in the past 24 hours. Russia’s official death toll stands at 24,366.
Moscow confirmed 5,376 infections Monday, its highest number of daily cases since recording 5,392 on May 12.
The city remains the epicenter of Russia’s Covid-19 outbreak with 367,629 confirmed infections.
Starting Monday, the Moscow metro began enforcing mask and glove mandates, while nighttime establishments will begin scanning visitors’ QR codes to control the spread of Covid-19.
Moscow City Hall has suggested that it could expand the QR codes to restaurants, retail stores and beauty salons if the experiment with clubs and bars proves successful.
Mayor Sergei Sobyanin has meanwhile ruled out curfews, entry and movement bans and business closures as “absolutely unacceptable and impossible.”


themoscowtimes--2020-10-19--Mass Fish Die-Off in Southern Russia Sparks Probe

Witnesses filmed the fish carcasses lining the Arshan-Zelmen reservoir , describing an “ absolutely terrible ” smell and pointing to emissions from factories in nearby regions as a possible cause .
Thousands of dead fish washed up on the shores of a reservoir in southern Russia ’ s republic of Kalmykia this weekend , prompting fears of an environmental disaster .
Investigators have launched an inquiry into the media reports of the mass fish deaths , the state-run TASS news agency reported Sunday .
Regional prosecutors said they believe the mass die-off was the result of a critical drop in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Investigative Committee and the regional prosecutors ’ office said they will determine their next course of action based on their initial probes .
Built in the mid-1930s , the Arshan-Zelmen reservoir has until recent years been used for irrigation .
This is at least the second known mass die-off of aquatic creatures in Russia in the past month .
In early October , an unexplained phenomenon wiped out 95 % of marine life , including octopuses , seals , sea urchins and crabs , off Russia ’ s Pacific coast in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a string of environmental disasters across Russia in 2020 , including a massive diesel fuel spill in the Arctic and large-scale wildfires in Siberia .
Environmental issues have become a thorny topic for the Russian authorities in recent years , with a number of protests breaking out over unwanted landfills and plans to mine for limestone at a sacred site .

Witnesses filmed the fish carcasses lining the Arshan-Zelmen reservoir, describing an “absolutely terrible” smell and pointing to emissions from factories in nearby regions as a possible cause.
Thousands of dead fish washed up on the shores of a reservoir in southern Russia’s republic of Kalmykia this weekend, prompting fears of an environmental disaster.
Investigators have launched an inquiry into the media reports of the mass fish deaths, the state-run TASS news agency reported Sunday.
Regional prosecutors said they believe the mass die-off was the result of a critical drop in water level and oxygen deficiency.
Both the Investigative Committee and the regional prosecutors’ office said they will determine their next course of action based on their initial probes.
Built in the mid-1930s, the Arshan-Zelmen reservoir has until recent years been used for irrigation.
This is at least the second known mass die-off of aquatic creatures in Russia in the past month. In early October, an unexplained phenomenon wiped out 95% of marine life, including octopuses, seals, sea urchins and crabs, off Russia’s Pacific coast in the Kamchatka region.
It also comes amid a string of environmental disasters across Russia in 2020, including a massive diesel fuel spill in the Arctic and large-scale wildfires in Siberia.
Environmental issues have become a thorny topic for the Russian authorities in recent years, with a number of protests breaking out over unwanted landfills and plans to mine for limestone at a sacred site.