Belarus Communists Rally Behind Russia Union Treaty
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MINSK, Belarus — About 30,000 Communists and their allies marched in the center of the Belarussian capital Sunday to support hard-line President Alexander G. Lukashenko’s plan to sign a “treaty of union” with Russia.
The rally was carefully organized and advertised on state television, in contrast to a nationalist rally last week--dismissed by Lukashenko as “a gathering of drunken hoodlums”--during which police confronted and occasionally beat marchers.
The demonstrators carried red flags and the Soviet-style national flag, reintroduced by Lukashenko last year as part of his drive to re-integrate the state of 10 million with Russia.
Stage-managed speeches praised the planned signing Tuesday of the treaty with Russia.
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