Thousands of protesters who have flooded Belarusian cities for six weeks of demonstrations to demand an end to the 26-year rule of the country’s authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko include people of all ages, professions and social groups.
While younger people make up the bulk of the protests pushing for Lukashenko’s resignation after the Aug. 9 vote that the opposition sees as rigged, many retirees also have joined the daily demonstrations. Some of them spoke to The Associated Press about their motives and their hopes.
Nina Bahinskaya, 73, poses for a photo holding an old Belarusian national flag at an entrance of her apartment building in Minsk, Belarus. The 73-year-old former geologist has become one of the most recognizable faces of Belarus protests, fearlessly waving a huge opposition’s…