MINSK, 14 August (BelTA) – Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko has held a conference with members of the Security Council, BelTA has learned.
The head of state said: “Once again you and I have to return to the matter of the state of affairs in the capital city – Minsk – not even in Belarus. I can't say there is some catastrophe or the situation is too intense, but there are plenty of problems and issues that need to be addressed. Today we absolutely clearly see what is going on. We see the parties involved. As we said, people from abroad are masterminds and organizers of all that's happening. People with a criminal past, a decent criminal past at that, march in the front ranks. And then there are our people – kids and not kids anymore.”
“Today I cannot complain about anyone specifically. I can't. Because you can see how the situation is unfolding. The only thing I would like to ask the minister and other people: we are Slavs after all, if a person falls and stays down, don't beat him or her. A certain brake must be in place,” Aleksandr Lukashenko stressed. “Then again, as a military man I can understand that when you spend all your life in the barracks together with someone (a 20-year-old riot police officer is someone's kid), when you've lived next to each other for two years already… And when someone strikes from behind (totally unmanly) these kids, these police officers… And the guy's backbone breaks, he will stay disabled for his entire life.”
“Can you tell me how the mother of this kid will live? Yes, bruises are bad. But bruises will pass while the police officer will never walk again. So many legs and extremities have been broken! Nearly about 100 people have been injured!” Aleksandr Lukashenko stressed.
“Do riot police officers or regular police officers want that? They've been calmly training, living in their barracks. But they went out to protect them [citizens] while they backstab police. They came at traffic police officers with knives, shivs… It was premeditated! You and I understand who does it,” the president said.
Aleksandr Lukashenko once again addressed parents of teenagers and young people. “It is the fourth time I am telling the parents to look where their kids are. I understand that some kids can be unruly at this age – 16-17 years (I know it very well), particularly boys. You can contact us and we will help. We will talk to them, find a suitable activity for these kids after all. Why do things have to go that far for us to start fixing these issues?”
Aleksandr Lukashenko addressed his fellow Belarusians: “Don't you go to the streets these days! You have to understand that you and our kids are used as cannon fodder! People from Poland, Holland, Ukraine, from Russia across the open border, Navalny's people, and so on and so forth have come to Belarus. An aggression against the country has been launched,” the president said.
“Can you tell me how a military man should react? What am I to do in this situation? Do you want me to sit and wait until Minsk is upside down? We will not be able to stabilize things then. This is why it is necessary to stop, take the head in hands and calm down. And give us a chance to restore order and sort out those, who have come here,” the head of state concluded.
