[bots]

Originally Posted by Kizzy

It's both amazing and terrifying to see the patriots of Belarus fight for their country against tyranny. This shold be a shining example to the west how to conduct protests. Looting and defacement does nothing but create scapegoats, strong solidarity is needed.

Why are our media not reporting? Because we are caught in the Web too, we should be watchful one day that might be us.

most of the foreign media have been beaten up and thrown out the country

[Kizzy]

Originally Posted by bitontheslide

most of the foreign media have been beaten up and thrown out the country

You dont have to be in the country to report on it... we live in an internet age. Broadcast a livestream, video interview, photos, witness commentary... anything.
There's a media blackout.

[Nicky91]

https://twitter.com/hashtag/belarusprotests

look here, this is where i can find latest on this topic anyway

[Nicky91]

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-54684753

nationwide strike to go ahead, opposition leader has said

just in

[Nicky91]

[Nicky91]

[Nicky91]

it seems this piece of s**t isn't entirely bad then

[Nicky91]

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-55108312

Belarus' President Alexander Lukashenko has hinted he may be prepared to leave power, after months of protests against his disputed re-election in August.

Mr Lukashenko, who has ruled for 26 years, said he supported changing the constitution to considerably weaken the role of any future president.

He said he would "not be president" after this - but gave no timescale.

On Thursday, Russia - Mr Lukashenko's key backer - again urged him to press ahead with reform.

That message was delivered by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov during his visit to the Belarusian capital Minsk.

Belarusian opposition leaders - who say the 9 August presidential election was rigged - dismissed Mr Lukahenko's comments as a mere stalling tactic. They have been pushing for the authoritarian leader to resign immediately.

A number of leading opposition figures have been detained, while others - like Svetlana Tikhanovskaya - have been forced to go into exile.

Belarusian police have been accused of brutality during the mass street protests in the former Soviet republic.

What did Lukashenko say?
On Friday, Mr Lukashenko, 66, said the country's constitution should be reformed to reduce the considerable powers of the presidency.

Handing the current system to an "unknown", as he put it, would spell trouble.

And he stressed that this proposed reform was not for him, personally, as he would not be president under the new system.

But Mr Lukashenko is now under pressure from his closest ally, too.

In Minsk, Mr Lavrov reminded him that Russian President Vladimir Putin had "repeatedly stressed" his desire to see constitutional reform in Belarus.

So this seems like a nod of consent from Alexander Lukashenko, the BBC's Sarah Rainsford in Moscow says. It looks like a sign that he got the hint, and is ready to map his own path out of power.

But Mr Lukashenko has proven to be highly unpredictable in his rule, and perfectly capable of a U-turn, should that suit him, our correspondent adds.

[Nicky91]

[Nicky91]

Hundreds of Belarusians have spent the last weekend of 2020 taking to the streets in a largely peaceful demonstration, releasing red and white helium-filled balloons. Authorities have detained more than a dozen people.



Hundreds of demonstrators marched through the streets of Belarus on Sunday to protest against President Alexander Lukashenko, who has ruled the country for more than a quarter century.

Local human rights center Viasna said 13 people had been detained during the traditional weekend protests — 10 in Minsk and three more in other Belarusian cities.

Belarus media reported that groups of people took part in small rallies scattered throughout the country and that heavy security forces were also present in Minsk.

Videos showed protesters with red and white flags marching through courtyards in residential areas of the capital, chanting "Long live Belarus!" and "As long as we're united, we're invincible.''

Opposition release balloons in protest
The democracy movement had called on Belarusians to release balloons as part of the protest.

At around noon local time on Sunday, hundreds of red and white helium-filled balloons rose to the sky in Minsk.

"It is enough to open the window and let the balloon take off," an earlier appeal from the opposition said, pointing out that people did not have to leave their homes in order to protest.

The former Soviet nation has been rocked by mass protests every weekend since Lukashenko claimed victory in an August 9 election that gave him a landslide win over his popular opponent Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya. Tsikhanouskaya, currently living in exile in Lithuania, and her supporters have maintained the election was rigged.

The opposition's Coordination Council, set up just after the election to push for a transition of power, issued a statement on Sunday thanking Belarusians for continuing their efforts.

"The Coordination Council is grateful to brave Belarusians that don't stop despite intimidation and trumped-up accusations in order to draw nearer a life in Belarus that we dream of and deserve," the statement said.

"We know that Belarusians are going into the new year with a common dream and [we] are convinced that we can't be stopped along the way."

There have been more than 30,000 detentions since the protests began.

https://www.dw.com/en/belarus-author...ers/a-56070389

[arista]

Him being banned from the EU
changes nothing.

[Nicky91]

why can't these protesters just give up

[Nicky91]

imagine calling it concentration camps


just a new special prison for the protesters solely, not to put them between other criminals

[Nicky91]

this vile woman

[Nicky91]

[arista]

Nicky
their Euro Song is not permitted
it has Politics in the song.


If they do not change it
They get Kicked Out.

[Nicky91]

Originally Posted by arista

Nicky
their Euro Song is not permitted
it has Politics in the song.


If they do not change it
They get Kicked Out.

there were more political songs in ESC in the past though and those were all allowed

but tbh EBU accepts the band anyway as their artist, either change some lyrics or opt for a new song (if the latter they might request extra time to release it days after the deadline)


https://www.change.org/p/european-br...0-8fc36e070455
one has started a petition to get VAL (their intended 2020 act) to represent them this year, whom are more on opposition/protesters side

[Nicky91]

the song was good, shame that opposition leader Svetlana has to exist her and her political correct protester goons

[Nicky91]

the one responsible for ruining Belarus

[The Grinch]

Originally Posted by Nicky91

there were more political songs in ESC in the past though and those were all allowed

but tbh EBU accepts the band anyway as their artist, either change some lyrics or opt for a new song (if the latter they might request extra time to release it days after the deadline)


https://www.change.org/p/european-br...0-8fc36e070455
one has started a petition to get VAL (their intended 2020 act) to represent them this year, whom are more on opposition/protesters side

Name them

[Nicky91]

Originally Posted by Barry.

Name them

Portugal 2011: was about workers strike anti-government at that time, basically the group were some of those workers ''a luta e alegria''

Montenegro 2012: was a anti-EU song, more like how it changes europe for the worse, save the children of de-evolution, climate-heavy message too, had multiple politized messages but in a trollish way

Ukraine 2016: well the crimean war, anti-Russia regarding the victims, is in title too 1944


Ukraine's own host entry also was a politized one, razom nam behato also a protest song



Belarus's ya nauchu tebya well if you don't understand the lyrics u don't know the message, it could've more been a cute quirky retro rock song for children around campfire by over 50 yr olds, so if they can edit song real quick, i mean i don't think it needs much change just switching up lyrics maybe a bit make it less repulsive in translation


but to call this one politized, and the others i mentioned were allowed to stay (or even in 2016 win the contest) well it is hypocrite



Georgia 2009 whom you mentioned i disliked either, the lyrics were too messed up ''shooting putin'' i understood that too of course, very dumb of that one to have been in english if you can't sing english that well

[Nicky91]

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-b...source=twitter

an end to that story, Lukashenko had said belarus is going to go for a new entry for rotterdam, rather than just changing the lyrics of the old entry

[Nicky91]

https://wiwibloggs.com/2021/08/11/ex...rtists/266304/

Since last August, we’ve continuously reported on how Belarusian Eurovision stars have been affected by the crises in their own country in the aftermath of pro-democracy protests. Recently, a Belarusian “list of banned artists” has appeared in local press and on social media that highlights the continued limitations to freedom of expression in Belarus.

The 9 August marked a year since the 2020 Belarusian presidential elections and the start of widespread protests against the current government. In that year, barely anything has changed for the Belarusian people. For pro-democracy artists, it has increasingly become difficult to perform in their native country, with a crackdown on those who may speak out against the government.

Over the past week, a list of “banned artists” in Belarus has been circulating over social media. This list includes names of many Belarusian Eurovision participants. Here’s an explainer on what we officially know about the list and what it means.

“List of banned artists”: What is it all about?
On the 5 August, several publications in Belarus started reporting on a list they had received. In fifteen pages, it detailed the names and professions of hundreds of key workers in the cultural sector, media and sports. Most of them have taken an outspoken pro-democracy stance in the past year.

In total, over 40 individual artists and an additional 19 musical groups are visible on the list. Next to that, it records the names of over 150 journalists who left state media following the protests.

The direct origins of the document remain mostly mysterious and exact creators of the list have not been verified.

The document appeared in the independent Belarusian media after an anonymous employee of a recruitment agency tipped different outlets. This anonymous person claimed they received the list in the mail and that they were told to not employ anyone on the list.

According to Radio Svaboda, the Belarusian service of RFE/RL, the list first appeared in a pro-governmental Telegram group called “Traitors of the Republic of Belarus”.

Although the original source of the list remains unknown, it has nevertheless sparked outrage on Belarusian social media as it is yet another tool of intimidation used against artists.

The list includes Eurovision participants Angelica Agurbash, Polina Smolova, Dmitry Koldun, Litesound, Uzari, NAVIBAND and VAL. Next to that, it includes former Belarusian Junior Eurovision stars Olga Satsiuk, Ksenia Sitnik and Aleksey Zhigalkovich.

The inclusion of Smolova and Koldun is noteworthy. Neither of them have spoken their minds on the conflict or sided with the pro-democracy movement publicly. Smolova has not made any public appearances in recent times.

Eurovision fans might also recognise the names of national final stars Alexey Gross, Alen Hit, Evgeny Litvinikovich, Max Lorens and Rusya from the musical group SHUMA on the list.

Former Eurovision commentators Evgeny Perlin and Denis Kurian are among the list of former employees of BTRC.

The direct implications of the list are unclear. However, such an inclusion is nonetheless an evident form of intimidation. It demonstrates the limitations on freedoms of expression within the country’s music industry.

The political situation in Belarus eventually led to the country’s disqualification from the Eurovision Song Contest 2021. Belarus’ state broadcaster BTRC was later expelled from the EBU, making it impossible for BTRC to participate in both Eurovision and Junior Eurovision in the near future.




another vile act from that dictator