The Rebellious Elders
Despite Article 35 of the Constitution of the Republic of Belarus on freedom of assembly, rallies, street processions, demonstrations and pickets that do not violate the rule of law and the rights of other citizens of the Republic of Belarus guaranteed by the state, in fact, participation in street pickets and peaceful assemblies is severely punished by the authorities. Physical force is often used, heavy fines and restrictions on freedom are imposed on participants. Subsequently, they can be dismissed from their jobs or expelled from universities.
In Belarus, the most fearless part of society that goes out into the streets to protest is pensioners. Pensioners cannot be fired and their living conditions and the size of the pension are sufficient grounds not to remain silent.
Participants of Freedom Day 2017 were brutally dispersed by riot police, among the detainees there were many elderly people in whom the state saw criminals. Through my collages, I decided to show the rebellious retirees through the eyes of the authorities, indicating why they were detained.
This story is about Veronika, an activist of the Belarussian Young Greens, who finds positive sides of the quarantine, caused by the COVID-19 epidemic.
Sasha Makarchuk is completely paralyzed. Vitya Mikhalchenkov has only one finger that moves. But the guys create websites, launch projects, teach other people with disabilities to work at a computer so as not to be dependent. Vitya and Sasha have been friends for eight years, but they have never been to each other's home. Borisov and Liozno are 200 kilometers apart. But neither distance nor health prevented the friends from meeting. Looking at them I just want to say: "These are guys with unlimited possibilities."
Every weekend in crowded places in the center of Minsk, participants in the Food Not Bombs initiative feed the homeless. They buy groceries with their own money and prepare vegetarian cereals and soups. The goal is not only to feed people, but also to draw attention to the problem of the homeless, whom the authorities are trying to make invisible by taking them out of town before the holidays.