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THREAD
A dramatic story of civil courage in Grodno

It starts last Sunday when more than 10% of the entire city population took to the streets.

Inhabitants believe (not indeply verified) that several peaceful demonstrators were killed in the first days of protests in the city

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It was the highest turnout in the country percentage-wise - as the share of population, and the authorities took a step back:
- Local state (which usually means propaganda) TV and newspapers started to cover protests
- Political detainees were released from the local jail

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Grodno became quite unique:
- the highest % of protest turnout
- the only place where state propaganda machine was telling the truth
- one of two places in the country were prisoners were released

So, yesterday (22AUG) Lukashenka personally came to Grodno to push back

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22AUG Grodno
In the morning Lukashenka in a stunning move declared that he ordered to put the army in full military alert for the first time ever during his rule because NATO troops were ostensibly deployed at BY border [not true]

Photo: by Lu press pool 22AUG

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22AUG Grodno
In the afternoon, local authorities have successfully gathered - by coercion and incentives - the largest non-Minsk pro-Lukashenka rally to date

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22AUG
Unexpectedly Lukashenka attended the rally in-person and told to the stunned audience the following:
- the governor was dismissed
- Lu personally "ordered the KGB to put things in order on the streets of Grodno"
- [most shockingly] Karanik was assigned as a new governor

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As a Minister of Health as the time Karanik is personally responsible for COVID-disaster in Belarus.
And for the cover-up.
Official COVID mortality data in Belarus are meaningless. We know that COVID mortality is high.
But we don't know the numbers.
Because of Karanik

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As a Minister of Health Karanik is personally responsible for the cover-up of the darkest Lukashenka crimes in the aftermath of the elections.
He denied deaths of protesters in hospitals where they were brought after beating. Multiple sources told it was the case.

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Returning to 22AUG, appointment of Karanik as a governor of Grodno was a shock.
But despite that, despite personal orders for KGB, despite military in full alert, dozens came to the city central square, the very same place where Lukashenka held depressingly large rally earlier

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22AUG Grodno
... Dozens came to that square and demonstrated tremendous civil courage.
Police came and told them that their "event was illegal" and they "violated law on mass events".
But they stayed and chanted "We believe! We can! We win!"
video @Belsat_TV

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There is a small place behind the main square of Grodno not visible from the street. Six protest activists were arrested there right after the rally on 22 August

It felt at the moment that the protest in Grodno has come to its end

12/12
That feeling was wrong.
Thousands took to the streets today.
It's far from being over in Grodno.