About 1,000 pro-democracy protesters tried to gather Friday near the palace of President Alexander Lukashenko, claiming to be emulating the popular uprising in fellow ex-Soviet republic Kyrgyzstan, but they were beaten and dispersed by police in riot gear, and several dozen were arrested. It took the truncheon-wielding police about two hours to disperse the protesters, who chanted "Down with Lukashenko!" and "Long live Belarus!" A group of 100 or so opposition activists regrouped, only to be pushed away a second time.Protest organizer Andrei Klimov said the demonstration was intended to help spark a revolution similar to those that have swept Georgia, Ukraine and, most recently, Kyrgyzstan, ousting unpopular governments. "Today's gathering must send a signal to the West, Russia and our own bureaucrats that Belarus is ready for a serious change," Klimov said. "Our aim is to start the Belarusian revolution and force the resignation of Lukashenko, the last dictator of Europe." Lukashenko has ruled his nation of 10 million people with an iron fist, stifling dissent, persecuting independent media and opposition parties, and prolonging his power through elections that international organizations say were marred by fraud. Lukashenko, who has been called Europe's last dictator, pushed through a referendum in October that will allow him to seek a third term in 2006 and run in subsequent elections.
Friday's protest was one of the biggest in the Belarusian capital in recent months. "By using force, Lukashenko shows he's terribly scared," said Vyacheslav Sivchik, an opposition leader who was later detained by police for taking part in the demonstration. Belarus' Foreign Ministry on Friday assailed the Kyrgyz opposition, warning that its action could destabilize the entire region. "The unconstitutional overthrow of the government in Kyrgyzstan could have fatal consequences for peace, stability and prosperity in the country, as well as in the Central Asian region as a whole," it said.