(Reuters) - More than 100,000 people marched through Minsk on Sunday on the sixth straight weekend of protests against President Alexander Lukashenko, keeping up the pressure on the veteran Belarusian leader to quit.
In the city centre, riot police rhythmically beat their shields as a warning sound while several people threw glass bottles at them.
Videos shared by local media outlets showed security forces in helmets or masks hauling protesters off the streets in simultaneous protests in other cities.
In power for 26 years, the former Soviet collective farm manager has shown scant inclination to resign, buoyed by support from Russia.
In tandem with the protests, anonymous hackers leaked the personal data of 1,000 police officers in retaliation for a crackdown in which thousands of people have been detained, many complaining of beatings and torture in jail.
The Russian news agency TASS said at least ten people had been held, citing police.
Moscow agreed to give a $1.5 billion loan to prop up Lukashenko’s government following a meeting between him and Russian President Vladimir Putin. »