On January 20-21 four activists were arrested in Minsk after solidarity actions with people previously arrested at New Year Punk Party in Minsk. One person was captured by the police at the prison gates, when people came to meet their comrades, who were supposed to be released after 10 days of arrest they were sentenced to after the concert.
Four people were sentenced to 15 days in prison for disobeying police orders. Some activists connect the continuation of repressions with solidarity actions that were carried out on January 16. That day several autonomous anarchist groups organised protest actions in three places simultaneously: at the Court where their comrades had been tried, at the Prison where they had been kept and at the Police station which had been in charge of the raid. There they made a picture with hands behind their heads to show their protest against the police raid at the New Year Punk Gig and the following detention of three people that were doing distro tables during the concert.
After the concert police officers started visiting people that gave their IDs during the gig privately as well. Anarchist Black Cross Belarus reports at least about one person who got official warning of unacceptable extremist activity. Several more people reported police attempts to meet them or arrange “private” talks.
With elections in Belarus getting closer repressions against the local anarchist movement intensify. Only in January all in all seven people were arrested six of which got from 10 to 15 days in prison. All these people face or will face problems at work, some of them had to change their workplace because of the previous arrests.