#DemocracyUnderPressure | Basque, Estonian, French, German, Italian, Norwegian and Polish municipalities join the campaign
Municipalities from the Basque Country, Estonia, Norway and Poland have joined the pan-European movement #DemocracyUnderPressure already supported in France, Germany and Italy. This follows the call of the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR), together with PLATFORMA, to join the campaign initiated by the Young European Federalists (JEF).
25 March marks the unofficial day of freedom in Belarus, celebrated annually by the democratic opposition. More than ever, this date is an opportunity to celebrate those who fight every day for democracy and refuse to recognise the August 2020 election results.
In Gdansk (Poland), Mayor Aleksandra Dulkiewicz and deputy Mayor Monika Chabior held a press briefing on 24 March on the square named after the Belorussian poet and writer Yanka Kupala, where two rows of white-red-white daisies symbolize the flag of free Belarus.
From 22 March to 26 March, the city of Rouen (France) is lighting up its city hall in white-red-white in solidarity with the Belarusian people.
Other cities across Europe, such as Münster (Germany) or Novara (Italy), are lighting public buildings in white-red-white on 25 March. Bologna, Riga, Stockholm, Strasbourg, Tallinn, Vilnius and other cities and towns already did so for the Day of Solidarity with Belarus on 7 February.
Context
Since the contested presidential elections of 9 August 2020, Belarusians have demonstrated to dispute the re-election of Alyaksander Lukashenka, in power since 1994. These protests have been violently suppressed by the authoritarian government, forcing those political opponents who had not already been imprisoned to flee the country.
The European Union has refused to recognise the August election result and has placed sanctions against the Lukashenka regime while the European Parliament awarded the 2020 Sakharov Prize to the Belarusian democratic opposition for their bravery and commitment to freedom of expression.
(Picture from @GFETorino)
Yesterday was the unofficial #BelarusFreedomDay!
— PLATFORMA (@Platforma4Dev) March 26, 2021
Discover in ? what happened in @muenster_de
Many other #localgov from Basque Country, Estonia, France, Italy, Poland, Norway took initiatives
?https://t.co/WxcunnKqR3 #DemocracyUnderPressure
© Leo Mühlenweg/JEF Münster pic.twitter.com/xKA3C046aE
Yesterday was the unofficial #BelarusFreedomDay!
— PLATFORMA (@Platforma4Dev) March 26, 2021
Discover in ? what happened in @gdansk
Many other #localgov from Basque Country, Estonia, France, Germany, Italy took initiatives
?https://t.co/WxcunnKqR3 #DemocracyUnderPressure
© D Paszli?ski & P Wittman/www.gdansk.gda.pl pic.twitter.com/hepmYco2CJ
The city of #Novara lightened up its famous Cupola di #SanGaudenzio in red and white on the occasion of the Belarusian freedom Day!
— GFE Torino (@GfeTorino) March 25, 2021
What a way to celebrate this #DemocracyUnderPressure action week! #FreeBelarus ?? pic.twitter.com/PQIHNjEymK
