MINSK: Belarusian security forces began detaining people on Sunday as tens of thousands of protesters gathered in Minsk for the seventh straight weekend calling on veteran President Alexander Lukashenko to step down.
Riot police pulled people out of crowds and hauled them away into vans, a Reuters witness said. The Russian news agency Interfax said at least 10 people had been detained. Several metro stations were shut and the mobile internet disrupted.
Belarus plunged into turmoil after Lukashenko claimed a landslide victory in the Aug 9 election that his opponents say was blatantly rigged. He denies electoral fraud and says the protests have foreign backing.
Lukashenko was inaugurated for a sixth term on Wednesday in a ceremony held without any prior announcement, sparking more protests and condemnation from the…