nic connelly for us as always thanks much news. in neighboring a lithuania people rallied in support of the protestors and active solidarity aimed at promoting democracy in criticizing look at. rule the protests aim to form a human chain stretching from the lithuanian capital millions to the border with bellers this action comes 3 decades after what was called the baltic way when residents of the baltic states lithuania estonia and latvia joined hands and linked capital cities in mass protest aimed at ending soviet rule correspondent constantine agard ease at the lithuania border for us readings constantine what is happening where you are. well as you see the human china which according to some estimates numbers about 50000 people stretches nearly 40 kilometers to the sense of vilnius it is a very very significant event for lithuania which is right across the border from belarus and where developments in minsk and other below russians that is amounted to very very closely it is a very. popular event if i may say so because people c

a w correspondent nic connelly in kiev can tell in kiev can tell us more about this video welcome and nic i want to do you make of it. looks anything but comfortable she barely looks in the camera in those 30 seconds of that video her body language is very tense and most important the tone basically sounds like government press release and still if you can ask a someone who is known for a very personal personable style of communication so all of those things raising red flags looking at that video we also heard today from people her campaign team who say she entered the meeting with the head of electoral committee and was then joined by 2 top ranking security officials who spent 3 hours talking to her on top of that more members of her campaign team are still in government attention so if the government media needed any more ways to put pressure on her they have them and we have to remember how it's been said a gay has been in prison for weeks now so a situation which makes it really pretty clear that this video was recorded under duress in this very as she also calls on protesters no

be doubly correspondent nic connelly is in minsk i asked him what president look meant when he said he would solve the country's political crisis in the coming days it does sound very much like a crackdown and standing in front of the k.g.b. building in the center of minsk and for now the security service is staying largely loyal to the regime how he said that you don't feel a lot of fear on the streets of the protests not just being in the main square where again thousands of people gathered for the nightly protest ahead of sunday's big protest that's being called the march of millions march of millions whether or not they get a 1000000 people together means is questionable but it definitely looks set to be at least as big as last week's protests we've heard today from opposition leaders that they are trying to engage with those security services trying to convince them not to use force against the protesters we heard from the looks government said that they will also be going after ordinary protesters that even just taking part in a protest will be deemed a criminal offense given tha

and his success in elections that observers have called neither free nor fair a correspondent nic connelly traveled to one of the country's most important mining bridges to see how workers there have responded to the president's refusal to step aside. this is solid course the series of mines with the city in between a place that provides much of the world with fertilizers and alexander because government with a significant chunk of its revenues any unrest here and let alone a strike would be devastating for the regime both financially and symbolically. with blood such as. we have lived with one man in charge of everything for 26 years after this year's election polling violence against ordinary people. this regime is in human and has already committed crimes against humanity it needs to go it's human nature because of his spent his working life in these mines and now he's trying to bring them to a standstill with a full scale strike so far the results have been so great only a few dozen miners have joined in the others he says a just too scared and not without good reason the strike is set

a correspondent nic connelly was on the streets of minsk and sent us his observations on another landmark day in the belarus in capital. it's difficult to imagine just a few hours ago hundreds of thousands of people were out here on the streets in minutes protesting brother says rigged election for a 2nd weekend in a row it seems this week's turn out with even bigger than last week's which already has been the biggest in better says modern history yet you see it was surprisingly relaxed given that the government had threatened arrests going into this had reminded people that even taking part in these demonstrations was in itself an illegal act people were out with their families their friends even with this small children and pets. if the police when they were told they were on the margins calling on people to go home using their megaphones in a way they received in return for that would allow and their cries of shame. i think the interesting thing will be to see how this develops from some more monday i don't like to shame because said that he would give people the weekend to think thing

but we'll definitely be watching to see which side is up coming down on the right side nic connelly in ments for us tonight nic thank you. well the european union today demanded that bella ruse release all protesters who have been detained in the last 2 weeks some 7000 in total now we understand that many of are really been freed some say they were beaten or tortured in police custody some protesters went missing and have not been heard from since can anyone help we have more now in this report the small park in front of an isolation center on the outskirts of men's cars the common important contact point for relatives of victims of police violence volunteers provide information about the whereabouts of those who were arrested during the peaceful protests. we're helping those who are gradually being released from the isolation center and everyone waiting to be released we give them clothes and psychological and medical help. the authorities let some volunteers inside to see the detainee's they are the 1st to learn about the conditions of detention and the circumstances of the arrests s

but it of your correspondent nic connelly is in minsk he has covered yesterday's huge demonstration and joins us now on the phone nic a 2nd weekend of massive protests and we're hearing that to a position leaders have now been arrested what can you tell us. well exactly they had beene fears that people would simply get tired of this process the people wouldn't turn out in numbers as big as the previous weekend which saw the biggest demonstration in modern belorussian history but indeed they did and it looks likely that there were more people here than even the weekend before any sort of people feeling not afraid after all the government threats to arrest people demonstrations people turning out with their pets with bring small children and prams. kind of extraordinary thing to get back to all of that for the body from. him flying and. he was even saying the right that he didn't because when he was looking at his helicopter he thought the numbers were low until today's arrests well we have heard that crucially the leader of the strike at the news tracked actually one of the biggest busin

correspondent nic connelly is in minsk for us nick of sky says the belorussian people will never accept the current leadership and indeed protests show no sign of winding down at this point what comes next inmates . well there's no clear progression here no roadmap to some kind of revolution resolution rather especially since president bush a girl i got to say good the man who's been in charge of this country for the past 26 years has refused all attempts at mediation or talking to the opposition the real focus here now is becoming a protest will some day last week on sunday. they saw one of the biggest protests in better sister e. hundreds of thousands of people out in the streets amidst the organizers want to see more people out of the streets this time around one in c. developed also has been your position reaching out to senior members of the regime so given that refusal by a look shango to talk to the protest as direct they are reaching out to members security services in the hope that there will be some possibility of dialogue and maybe some kind of. crumbling of the result of the

and from minsk i am joined by correspondent nick connelly nic seen more we've seen more and more rests in recent days what's the atmosphere like there and in minsk well it's def definitely calm where i am here on independence square the place that had been the site of protests day off today indeed since that rigged election on august the 9th and police have cordoned this all off people in police in secure system right gear in uniforms and in civilian clothing but if you look behind me on the square there is about an estimated several 100000 people on the independence avenue cut off from the square by those police cordons you can just hear the screams the cries the chants from their shame to the police it's really not clear where this is going this standoff is continuing and to think recently while the threats from the government against protesters to arrest people taking part in so-called unsanctioned protests or position protests here are unsanctioned don't seem to be working and today again many people turning out here in the streets for months and if the protests happening in minsk

correspondent nick connelly on the telephone nic i'm happy that we have a connection but what's going on there right now. i don't think michael weinstein just off independence square the main square here in minsk that is just a white and red protest flag as you mentioned and no signal on the square that being a government tactic and recently cutting off mobile internet prevent footage of all of this getting out that you don't get a sense of people here that they really had the police we have. been getting out with megaphone telling people reminding them that these protests were illegal that taking part in these protests was an illegal act and they will doubt you can get the sense that anyone wants to keep scared of them all the protests is optional that there are. people in civilian clothes filming is going through the crowd trying to work out do. anything with this but it was the regime right now these mass protests seem to be uncoordinated that are happening spontaneously. the regime's crackdown on people another detail we've seen restrictions on today roads leading to the capital b

from minsk i am joined by correspondent nick connelly on the telephone nic i'm happy that we have a connection but what's going on there right now. the michael weinstein just off independence square the main square here in minsk that is just to see white and red protest flags as you mentioned and no signal on the square that's been a government tactic in recent weeks cutting off mobile internet prevent footage of all of this getting out but you don't get a sense of people here that they really see the police we have police getting out with megaphone telling people reminding them that these protests were illegal but taking part in these protests was an illegal act and they were moved out you didn't get any sense if anyone was sick you scared them or their protest is off shore that there are. people in civilian clothes filming is going through the crowd trying to work out do. anything with this but that was the regime right now these mass protests seem to be on coordinated that are happening spontaneously so it's not easy for the regime to crack down on people another interesting detail we've se

s nick connelly is in minsk tonight good evening to you nic the european union's position now is crystal clear it considers the election fraud has there been reaction from the president bill roos or his government. good evening brant well there hasn't been any official reaction from prison yet but in a way he doesn't need to he's already accuse european governments of interfering in belarus of financing these protests he's very keen now costing these protests as a western conspiracy against a russian ally but just a few weeks ago he was peddling the opposite line costing the opposition as close to moscow as an attempt by the russians who were unhappy with his unwillingness to draw close to moscow to unseat him so that gives the sense of just quite how desperate position is now in on the one hand you're forcing democratic standards of demanding them and russia of the hand wanting to join have a closer the european union is slapping saying shinzo on what it says is a substantial number of individuals responsible for violence repression and election fraud i mean these are targeted not to hu

numbers for now but what's going no one can say for now the confrontation continues nic thank you so much state of usenet connelly there in minutes. and just a reminder the top story that we're following for you this hour japan's prime minister shinzo is resigning because of poor health comes just days after he became the country's longest serving holder of the office but obvious popularity had declined recently over his handling of the coronavirus pandemic and the forseen failure of his economic program. you're watching d.w. news coming up next we've got a documentary looking at the craze of the mega rich or mega yong's i'm terry mark thanks for watching. us there so that's what it people experiences when their heritage is taken from them countless cultural artifacts were brutally stolen from africa by colonialists and carted off to europe. what should be done with the stolen art from africa.

numbers for now but what's going no one can say for now the confrontation continues nic thank you so much state of usenet connelly there in minutes. you're watching d.w. news we have business coming up for you next with monica genzyme terry martin thanks for being with us. and. language courses. and. time.

and for more on this we're joined by deed connelly in nic how did the demonstration go today. well these are extraordinary scenes for a 3rd weekend in a row something people could barely of imagine just a month ago this kind of numb these kind of numbers of people out in the streets time off the time here in minsk the weather wasn't really helping they had to wrench the rain for much of the often in people hiding in shopping centers at least where i was but the thing was that that didn't really stop the kind of festival atmosphere people were out there kids with their dogs and their friends and people sitting even in shopping center which was singing. i think the thing about this is that these protests have become part of the culture this is not something that just happens on certain days in certain places that the police can surround and arrest people this is become something that has taken on a life of its own it doesn't need specific protest leaders it is becomes thing it's very widespread at least here in minsk where i'm standing now is a place where several journalists we

and for more let's bring in correspondent nick connelly who is joining us from minsk nic what is the atmosphere among protesters do they sense a change in the air. well you definitely get a sense that people have lost their fear fear of coming out in the streets just simply because there are so many of them i think there's a feeling that the regime here called put all of them in jail how is it that there has being significant violence protest as spending days in prison in detention about 30 people still unaccounted for days after they were taken in but people are coming out all voicing their dissatisfaction the regime in a way that was unthinkable just a few weeks ago think about these protests they're very diffuse there is no central protest camp these protests erupt all across mintz going all across the country and disappear as quickly as they begin i think this is part of the strategy to make it more difficult for the security services here to come off the people and to detain them but there is a real sense that this is far from over this is the beginning rather the end of the pro

force against your own protesting nick connelly with a view from ments khan the ground there thank you so much nic. a new zealand courts has been hearing from families of some of the 51 worshippers massacred in the country's worst mass killing parents and other family members testified about their loved ones killed at 2 different mosques in christ church a court is in the sentencing phase of the case against the white supremacist who has already pleaded guilty to the murders the court has heard that brenton toronto planned to burn down 2 mosques after carrying out the killings sentencing is expected to take 3 days with toronto facing life in prison and i'm joined now by pete mckenzie he's a journalist joining us from wellington pete relatives of the victims and survivors they had the opportunity to speak before the court what was the atmosphere. yeah 60 years over 60 victims and survivors where it called course today are expected to speak for the course of the coming days and of the mood was incredibly somber various victims and survivors and relatives of survivors were able to deliver. damning sc

connelly with a view from ments khan the ground there thank you so much nic it's. and is the island court has been hearing from families of some of the 51 worshippers massacred in the country's worst mass killing parents and other family members testified about their loved ones killed at 2 different mosques in christ church the court is in the sentencing phase of the case against the white supremacist who has already pled guilty to the murders the court has heard that branch in toronto plans to burn down the 2 mosques after carrying out the killings sentencing is expected to take place to take 3 days excuse me with him facing life in prison yes guilty. on $51.00 charges 40 charges of attempted murder and a terrorism charge in march 29 teen brenton terror drove up to a mosque and started shooting then moved on to another muslim house of worship to continue his rampage a nation in shock watched the ensuing chaos. i cannot get any confirmation at this stage around tell it he's a casualty he's or i can say is that it is clear that this is one of new zealand's darkest d