Lukashenko gathers his supporters in Minsk for a rally

A rally of supporters of President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko should be held in Minsk today, August 16. This was reported on the website of the Orthodox public organization Belaya Rus, which organized a solidarity action with the current government. It is reported that a rally in support of the authorities should be held at 12:00 local time (coincides with Moscow time) on Minsk Independence Square near the Government House. The organizers emphasize that the rally is purely peaceful, and forces will gather at it that support the state course. As the news agency previously reported, after the presidential elections in Belarus on August 9, in which the current head of state, Alexander Lukashenko, officially won, the opposition staged mass protests, as it believes that the elections are rigged. Protests quickly escalated into clashes with security forces.