After authoritarian president Alexander Lukashenko, claimed to have secured 80% of the vote in a presidential election, the public's view of his legitimacy is in tatters and his regime faces its biggest crisis since he came to power 26 years ago.

The mood at Sunday’s (August 16) rally was stoked further by egregious police violence against thousands of protesters earlier in the week.

After Lukashenko called his own rally in Independence Square, the anti-government protesters instead converged on a second world war monument in another part of the city.
The carnival atmosphere of the last three days continued, as people cheered, passing cars beeped their horns, and chants of “Resign!” rang out.