Page 6 - aruba-today-20201028

A6 WORLD NEWS
Wednesday 28 OctOber 2020
Belarus leader seeks to punish striking workers, students

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Be- dents, doctors, teachers, workers walked off the job,
larus President Alexander officials," Lukashenko said. thousands of students and
Lukashenko urged authori- "Now is the moment when retirees marched in Minsk,
ties Tuesday to take action everyone should choose and some small business
against plant workers and the road in their life they owners closed, but most
students who participate in would be taking." state enterprises continued
a strike called by the oppo- Belarus has been rocked to operate as usual.
sition as the authoritarian by the largest and most "The opposition managed
leader made another at- sustained protests in Lu- to create separate strike
tempt to halt protests of his kashenko's 26-year rule. The hot spots — at some (plants
reelection. rallies began after the Aug. entire) divisions are not op-
University students left class- 9 election, which officials erating; at others, separate
es to march in rallies and said gave him a landslide workers are on strike. But
some factory employees victory over his widely pop- the authorities succeeded
went on strike Monday af- ular challenger, Sviatlana in intimidating and quash-
ter Lukashenko ignored an Tsikhanouskaya. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko attends a meeting ing the protest at plants,"
opposition demand to re- She and her supporters re- in Minsk, Belarus, Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2020. said Alexander Yaroshuk,
sign following the balloting fused to recognize the re- Associated Press leader of the Belarusian
that was widely viewed as sults, saying the vote was Congress of Democratic
rigged. Nearly 600 people riddled with fraud. Since have detained demonstra- political prisoners and stop Unions, an association of
were detained in the capi- then, thousands have tak- tors and arrested activists. the police crackdown. independent labor unions.
tal of Minsk and other cities. en to the streets regularly, Nevertheless, the protests She gave the go-ahead Police detained 581 pro-
Lukashenko told govern- demanding Lukashenko continued. On Tuesday Sunday night for the strike testers and strikers Monday
ment officials that "those step down. Lukashenko, Lukashenko charged that to begin after police in across the country. Deten-
came out to unauthorized who has suppressed dis- "a terrorist war" is being Minsk and other cities once tions continued Tuesday,
rallies in violation of the law sent during more than a waged against the govern- again dispersed demon- as dozens of human chains
should be deprived of the quarter-century in power, ment "on some fronts," ac- strators with stun grenades sprung up again in Minsk,
right to be a student," add- scoffed at suggestions of a cusing the largely peaceful and tear gas. and students continued
ing that factory workers dialogue with the opposi- protesters of "radicalizing." The strike on Monday failed their rallies, joined by their
who want to continue work- tion. Instead, the authorities Tsikhanouskaya, who fled to spread wide enough to professors. The Viasna hu-
ing should be "freed" from have used stun grenades, to Lithuania for fear of her halt major state-run plants man rights group said over
those who are on strike. "No tear gas, water cannons safety, had urged the na- and factories that make 30 people were detained
need to persuade anyone: and rubber bullets to break tionwide strike if Lukashen- up the core of the Belarus in Minsk, Grodno, Polotsk
neither workers, nor stu- up the rallies, and they ko did not resign, release economy. Some factory and Smolevichi. q

4 dead, 15 rescued in English Channel migrant boat sinking

government help for strug- into the cause of the sink- "My thoughts and prayers
gling migrants, while British ing, which occurred on a are with their families and
and French authorities ex- day when both British and loved ones at this time," Pa-
pressed their condolences. French weather authorities tel said in a statement. "This
Such crossings have be- had warned of gusty winds tragic news highlights the
come increasingly com- in the area. dangers that come with
mon in recent years, de- Despite joint police efforts crossing the Channel and I
spite political uproar in on both sides of the Chan- will do everything I can to
Britain and stepped-up nel, migrants have long stop callous criminals ex-
police efforts to stop them, used northern France as a ploiting vulnerable people."
but deaths are rare. French launching point to sneak France's minister for citizen-
authorities reported four into Britain, and the issue ship issues, Marlene Schi-
migrant deaths in total in has long strained relations appa, tweeted "great sad-
small boats crossing the between the neighbors. ness" at the news. She said
Channel over all of 2019. Britain's Press Association 19 people had been con-
On Tuesday, a sailboat news agency calculates firmed aboard the boat,
alerted authorities to a mi- that more 7,400 migrants but the overall toll "is seri-
grant boat in distress off have crossed the Chan- ous, and still uncertain."
In this file photo dated Saturday Aug. 8, 2020, a Border Force the coast of Dunkirk, and nel to the U.K. by boat so Aid group Channel Rescue
vessel at the port city of Dover, England. France mobilized five ves- far this year, up from about said in a statement that "This
Associated Press
sels and a Belgian helicop- 1,800 in all of 2019. French is a burgeoning humanitar-
By ANGELA CHARLTON and operations were still under ter nearby to help with the maritime officials have res- ian crisis .... The govern-
JILL LAWLESS way, according to the re- rescue, according to the cued hundreds more in ment must urgently ensure
PARIS (AP) — At least four gional administration for regional French maritime routine operations in the safe and legal passage for
people, including two the Nord region. It said in agency. It had said earlier Channel, known for high those seeking safety."
young children, died Tues- a statement that the dead that 18 people were res- winds, strong currents and Clare Mosely of migrant
day when a boat carry- were a 5-year-old and an cued and were receiving heavy maritime traffic. support group Care4Calais
ing at least 19 migrants 8-year-old, an adult wom- treatment in hospitals in British Home Secretary Priti said: "This unnecessary loss
capsized off France while an and an adult man, and Calais and Dunkirk. The rea- Patel said she was "truly of life has to stop. No one
trying to cross the English stressed that the toll so far is son for the different num- saddened to learn of the should ever feel they have
Channel to Britain, French provisional pending further bers of rescued migrants tragic loss of life in French to get into a fragile craft
authorities said. Fifteen mi- searches in the area. was not explained. waters this morning" and and risk their lives crossing
grants have been saved so Aid groups decried the The Dunkirk prosecutor offered U.K. help with the the Channel, least of all vul-
far and rescue and search deaths and called for more launched an investigation search and investigation. nerable children." q