2014 Belorussian Protests (Smokey Bear)

The 2014 Belorussian protests began on the 11th August 2014 and lasted until December 2014. Initially begining with a woman spitting on the President of Belarus as he visited the scene of the Minsk Apartment Fire after her 2 children died in the fire leading to protests on the same day in by residents of the neighbourhood. These escelated over the weeks until a strike was called on and the country broke down into persistent civil unrest until late September when covert Russian troops were sent into support Lukashenko. As the number of Russian troops in country was scaled up order was restored by the end of December.

11th August
In the aftermath of the fire the President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko visited the scene of the fire and met with survivors. 38 year old  nurse Elvira Praskovya whose 2 children aged 11 and 7 had died in the fire was among those to meet with the President. As the President arrived on scene at 2:00pm and a dozen of the survivors had been lined up outside the burnt out aparment as he moved to shake their hands one by one he came to sobbing Elvira who as he approached her spat at him and shouted to the President "My children died for your corruption" in front of journalists and bodyguards. As the bodyguards quickly interposed themselves between the President and the grieving mother pushing the woman back her husband pushed against the bodyguards and was tackled to the ground. The entire event was captured on camera and the blame for the fire was pushed onto the government for failing to verify that the building was still safe.

As the President evacuated the scene survivors of the fire and people from the neighbourhood began to shout and threw objects at the President's car and bodyguards. Once the President was out of the area rioting began as the local police station was attacked. The protests spread as many saw on social media and small scale rioting began throughout the day and night. The police were deployed onto the streets and clashed with rioters.

12th August
Siezing on the events of the day before opposition leaders Andrei Sannikov and Alaksander Milinkievic and others called for a non government investigation into the fire accusing the government of having neglected to maintain fire safety standards in the apartment and planned to hold a rally in Gorky park. Police blocked the way into Gorky park as thousands of protesters turned out and drove them off with water cannons and tear gas. Many of those who had been planning to attend the march were working class citizens of Minsk who were angered by the fire and other instances of corruption.

13th- 30th August
Protesting and rioting increased and on the 16th August the Federation of Trade Unions of Belarus demanded international fire safety inspections and unofficial strikes began after the government said they would be renwed but by the same inspection teams.