More than 300 detained by police in Belarus protests

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The Belarusian human rights group Viasna says more than 300 people have been arrested and many of them beaten by police during protests calling for the country’s authoritarian president to resign

KYIV, Ukraine — The Belarusian human rights group Viasna says that more than 300 people were arrested and many of them beaten by police during protests calling for the country’s authoritarian president to resign.

The demonstrations that attracted thousands were the 16th consecutive Sunday of large protests against President Alexander Lukashenko.

There have been near-daily protests since early August, but those on Sundays have been the largest.

Throughout the protest wave, more than 19,000 people have been detained and thousands of them beaten, human rights advocates say.

The protesters on Sunday tried to dilute detentions and police dispersals by initially gathering in various parts of the capital Minsk, but were met by police when they tried to converge on the center. Police used stun grenades to turn them back and began widescale detentions.

Protests also took place held in other cities on Sunday. Viasna said at least 304 people were arrested throughout the country.

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