Twee verhalen van ooggetuigen bereikten ons over de situatie bij de ontruiming het tentenkamp in Minsk. Om de schrijver van het onderstaande verhaal niet verder in gevaar te brengen is diens naam uit het bericht verwijderd. Het verslag werd in het Engels geschreven en wordt hier onveranderd weergegeven.

Police raid into tents camp. The story of (…):

It was pretty obvious that the police raid will start at night. Even public utilities workers have been staying near the camp till the late night waiting as the carrion-crows for easy profits after the camp crash. The October Square was unusually crowded around 2 o?clock of morning. Government was still hoping to subdue our obstinacy. The provokers from BRSM (youth organization of Lukashenko) were sent to the square. They have been harassing the camp defenders skillfully, wiping their feet on our banners, spitting out and kicking in our faces. All their activities went to the dogs. They got none of our answers. Then policemen with unusual care and delicacy have taken away provokers. Music was turned off and the ominous silence came to the square at 3 o?clock in the morning. It was really frightful. ?OMON? soldiers (special police forces) have emerged in front of us. Some of the soldiers have been chewing strange, green color cuds. Energetic plates? They have asked journalists to leave the tents camp. Soldiers have been staring at us for a while. Someone of them yelled: ?Meat, your end has come!?

The police storm has started on. One of the soldiers has said pointing at me: ?Vasja, let?s crack (kick) this guy?. I have been standing in the first line of the ring. Thus I was beaten during the storm and after the one. They beat me into my head by the fists and feet. So, the other fellows also were beaten. I saw the soldiers breaking ribs of some man. 4-5 fellows? faces were broken in blood.

Then they have driven us to the ?Okrestino? jail and kept us for about 4-5 hours outside, in a frosty night with our hands behind our back. Women and under ages were among us. None of us was let to go to w.c. All the next day I have spent in the prison cell with 26 other companions. (In fact this cell is intended for 8 persons). When we all have been conveying to the jail in Zhodino, the commander of ?OMON? soldiers strongly recommended to us ignore the relatives, who has gathered under the ?Okrestino? jail walls. ?If you detain bus, we?ll be late at home. Thus we will be too wicked and won?t be able to guarantee your delivery?. Soldiers have been joking: ?Do you remember as someone of you went out to w.c. and didn?t return? I am the one, who has arrested him!? and so on. I don?t think all of them are so cruel. Many of them just have too low an intellect level. One of the soldiers has told us about the fantastic horror, which expected us in Zhodino jail. However the officials in Zhodino jail have been treating us quite properly. They have been changing our bed-clothes, leading us out for a walk.

In the beginning of the imprisonment we have shaped the chess and the checkers from bread. So we have played the games before our close people passed the books to us. The jail officials have been retelling us some of the news facts. So, we knew something out of the broadcasting. Thank to ?Capital? radio for a song ?Make ski-way for a fellow? (Lukashenko is derided tacitly in that song). This song was a real gift for us. But the best reward for me was the thought that I won?t see the ?OMON? soldiers within the next few days. I won?t be able to forgive them ever!