Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
PHOTOS: Belarus' Massive And Unprecedented Protests
Nearly two weeks after an Aug. 9 election kept Belarus' authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko in power amid accusations of vote-rigging, massive protests against Lukashenko continue and neither side is backing down.
"New fair, free and transparent elections must be held," Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, Lukashenko's main challenger, told reporters in Lithuania on Friday. She fled there under pressure from Belarusian authorities last week. "People of Belarus have woken up and they do not want to live in fear and lies anymore."
On Monday, while visiting a factory where employees jeered him amid shouts of "Leave!" Lukashenko vowed to "never cave into pressure," saying, "There will be no new election until you kill me."
Thousands of factory workers, normally a key source of support for Lukashenko's 26-year regime, have gone on strike. The government, meanwhile, is squeezing the opposition: Authorities have detained a striking workers' leader and lodged criminal charges against opposition organizers. Riot police, some of whom briefly put down their shields earlier this week, continue to crack down amid allegations of torture.
Support for LAist comes from
More protests are expected this weekend. Whatever their ultimate impact may be, it's clear they mark an unprecedented challenge to Lukashenko's rule. Here are some highlights.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. 9(MDA1OTI3MjQ5MDEyODUwMTE2MzM1YzNmZA004))
Opposition supporters protest against disputed presidential elections results at Independence Square in Minsk on Tuesday.
(
Sergei Gapon
/
AFP via Getty Images
)
Protesters gathered at Independence Square in Minsk on Thursday. They have come out in unprecedented numbers since the Aug. 9 election that returned Belarus' authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko to power amid accusations of vote-rigging.
(
Sergei Gapon
/
AFP via Getty Images
)
Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, Lukashenko's main challenger, greets supporters in Brest, Belarus, on Aug. 2. She fled to Lithuania under pressure from authorities last week. "People of Belarus have woken up and they do not want to live in fear and lies anymore," she told reporters in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius on Friday.
(
Sergei Grits
/
AP
)
President Alexander Lukashenko met with workers on Monday at the Minsk Wheel Tractor Plant, where he was heckled and met with shouts of "Leave!" "There will be no new election until you kill me," he said.
(
Nikolay Petrov/BELTA
/
AFP via Getty Images
)
Employees of the Minsk Energy Company protest on Aug. 17. Thousands of factory workers went on strike earlier this week but have since come under pressure and threats of job loss.
(
Sergei Gapon
/
AFP via Getty Images
)
Support for LAist comes from
Women dressed in white protest against police violence in Minsk on Aug. 12.
(
Sergei Gapon
/
AFP via Getty Images
)
Scenes from protests in Minsk on Aug. 9, after polls closed.
(
Sergei Gapon; Siarhei Leskiec; Sergei Gapon/AFP via Getty Images;
)
Riot police loom over a demonstrator during a protest after polls closed in Belarus' presidential election, in Minsk on Aug. 9. Human rights groups have alleged that Belarusian authorities used torture against peaceful protesters.
(
Sergei Gapon
/
AFP via Getty Images
)
Belarus opposition supporters lay flowers near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester, died on Aug. 10, during a protest in Minsk.
(
Sergei Gapon
/
AFP via Getty Images
)
Protests in support of Belarus' opposition have taken place in other European countries. Left: People form a heart as they take part in a demonstration in support of Belarus protests on Aug. 16, in Prague, Czech Republic. Right: A protester participates in a "die-in" at a demonstration against the results of Belarus' presidential election on Aug. 15 in Berlin.
(
Michal Cizek/AFP via Getty Images; Adam Berry/Getty Images
)
A protest at Minsk's Independence Square on Aug. 18.
(
Sergei Gapon
/
AFP via Getty Images
)
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
Isolated showers can still hit the L.A. area until Friday as remnants from the tropical storm move out. -
First aspiring spectators must register online, then later in 2026 there will be a series of drawings. -
It's thanks to Tropical Storm Mario, so also be ready for heat and humidity, and possibly thunder and lightning. -
L.A. Mayor Karen Bass suspended a state law allowing duplexes, calling more housing unsafe. But in Altadena, L.A. County leaders say these projects could be key for rebuilding. -
![A Black woman sits at a dais with a flag in the background. A name placard in front of her reads: Dr. Va Lecia Adams Kell[um].](https://scpr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/5425437/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6298x3897+0+0/resize/640x396!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fscpr-brightspot.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com%2F76%2F00%2Febed9a7a4fbd9e5ba12997e51d59%2Fgettyimages-1258669633.jpg)
L.A. County investigators have launched a probe into allegations about Va Lecia Adams Kellum and people she hired at the L.A. Homeless Services Authority. -
This measure on the Nov. 4, 2025, California ballot is part of a larger battle for control of the U.S. House of Representatives next year.
![A Black woman sits at a dais with a flag in the background. A name placard in front of her reads: Dr. Va Lecia Adams Kell[um].](https://scpr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/45c201e/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6298x3894+0+0/resize/786x486!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fscpr-brightspot.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com%2F76%2F00%2Febed9a7a4fbd9e5ba12997e51d59%2Fgettyimages-1258669633.jpg)
Best of LAist