Issue and opposition: Often labeled as “Europe’s Last Dictator, Belarusian president Alyaksandr Lukashenka, has been in power since 1994. Lukashenko’s most recent election victory was his sixth and like the previous five before this, time too he won almost uncontested. Protests erupted all through Belarus after the news broke about Lukashenka’s decision to run for the presidency for the sixth time. Belarusian public and democratic opposition resisted his decision but to no avail. On August 9, 2020, after the results of the election were out and Lukashenka was re-elected as the president by a landslide victory, almost the whole of Belarus got down on the streets of the Belarusian capital Minsk to protest alleging that the election was far from fair and free. In 2020, according to an estimate, more than 33, 000 Belarusian activists were tortured, detained, and arrested by the Belarusian police under Lukashenka’s instructions. This dilemma action by the Belarusian public was one of many actions against Lukashenka’s oppressive rule.
Dilemma Action: The emergence of the Square of Change as the central meeting point for protesters and activists against Lukashenka’s dictatorial regime took place in the Fall of 2020 after two popular Belarusian DJs (Kiryl Halanav and Uladzislau Sakalouski) played a famous protest song by Viktor Tsoi at a mass rally in support of Lukashenka. The two were arrested and held in custody for the next 10 days as punishment. In support, anti-government activists came together in one of the town squares in Minsk and painted a mural commemorating the DJs and their brave and non-violent acts of defiance. The courtyard decorated in protest colors soon emerged as a meeting point for activists and creative artists. Soon everyone was calling this space the Square of Change. Every time the mural depicting the DJs was erased by the police, it resurfaced the next day on the wall of the Square. The police tried various strategies to prevent the mural from reappearing. For example, the law enforcement department thrust the Home Owners’ Association with a hefty fine of $2500. Undaunted, the locals ensured that the mural remained painted on the wall of the Square always.
Outcome: Though the initial reaction of the Lukashenka administration in containing these peaceful protests in which the Belarusians sang, danced, and painted might have been a dilemma, it was soon replaced with the dictator’s contempt and anger. The Belarusian police started cracking down on the protesters and killed one protester named Raman Banderenka when he tried to prevent the police from vandalizing the Square of Change. One year after the Square of Change artivism, the situation in Belarus worsened. Therefore, no long-term positive impacts came out of this dilemma action except that it showed Lukashenka and his government in poor light to the world.