The Belarus Protests and Russia: Lessons for "Big Brother": Policy Memo No. 693

Natalya Chernyshova

The Belarus Protests and Russia: Lessons for "Big Brother": Policy Memo No. 693

Natalya Chernyshova

History (HIS)

Research output: Contribution to specialist publication › Article

Abstract

The anti-Lukashenka protests in Belarus, which have lasted since August 2020, may have slipped off the front pages of international media, but the recent pro-Navalny demonstrations in Russia make for a powerful reminder of their significance. Both the protesters and the authorities in Russia have taken important lessons from their counterparts next door. For Alexei Navalny’s supporters, the Belarusian protests offered moral and strategic inspiration, while the Russian authorities clearly took a leaf from the Belarusian police’s playbook on the violent dispersal of demonstrations. The potential for actions in Belarus to serve as a blueprint for events further east makes a democratic resolution of the Belarusian crisis even more imperative. The hiatus in mass demonstrations of the kind seen back in autumn 2020 should not be taken as President Alyaksandr Lukashenka’s victory.

Original language	English
Specialist publication	PONARS Eurasia
Publication status	Published - 1 Mar 2021

Access to Document

https://www.ponarseurasia.org/the-belarus-protests-and-russia-lessons-for-big-brother/

Cite this

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