MFA: More than 50.000 Lithuanians Joined Human Chain in Solidarity with Belarus

On Sunday, on the 31st anniversary of the Baltic Way, more than 50,000 people joined the chain of solidarity in support of the demonstrations in Belarus, the Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs reports.

"Very proud of Lithuanians for their genuine unprecedented support to the people of Belarus in their ongoing fight for democracy, justice and human dignity. At least 50.000 have joined the Freedom Way in Lithuania," the Minister of Foreign Affairs Linas Linkevičius tweeted. 

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda, who participated along with former leaders of the Baltic country, said he was pleased to join so many people in a demonstration of unity with people of Belarus.

"We are with you, free Belarus, and we extend our hand to you," Nauseda said after linking hands at the border in the 'Freedom Way' human chain.

Lithuanians stood in a human chain stretching more than 30 kilometers from Vilnius to the border with Belarus on August 23 in a show of support for protesters in their neighboring country who are calling for the end of President Alexander Lukashenko’s rule.

In August 1989, around two million Lithuanians, Latvians, and Estonians joined forces to create a 600-kilometer long human chain, which became known as the Baltic Way, as an expression of freedom and as a protest against the continued occupation of their countries by the Soviet Union.

Within seven months of the protest, Lithuania became the first of the Soviet republics to declare independence.

Now, Lithuania has expressed solidarity with the people of Belarus, who are fighting for freedom today.

Alexander Lukashenko won the 2020 election in Belarus with a reported 80.23% of the vote, which was met with widespread protests throughout the country and violent repression by the Belarusian authorities. Protests in Belarus have been ongoing since the August 9 presidential election. Protesters say massive vote-rigging has taken place and the winner is not Alexander Lukashenko but the opposition candidate Svetlana Tikhanovskaya. Hundreds of people were injured in clashes with police during the protests, and 3 protesters were killed.

By Ana Dumbadze 

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