Human chain across Prague's Charles Bridge to support Belarus protesters this Sunday

On the anniversary of the Baltic Way, a human chain dressed in the colors of the former flag of Belarus will line Prague's Charles Bridge

Jason Pirodsky

Written by Jason Pirodsky Published on 19.08.2020 15:36:05 (updated on 19.08.2020) Reading time: 1 minute

This Sunday from 18:00, demonstrators will create a human chain across Prague’s Charles Bridge to show support for the recent protests in Belarus following the contested re-election of President Alexander Lukashenko and violent clashes with police.

Open to anyone who would like to show their support, participants are asked to dress in all white, and carry something red in their arms such as a ribbon or flowers. The resulting image will re-create the former flag of Belarus, now used to show opposition against Lukashenko, down the length of the Prague landmark.

The event is organized by the Facebook group BLRČR (Belorussians in the Czech Republic), who staged a similar demonstration in Prague’s Old Town Square over this past weekend.

Images from that demonstration, including a moment when the protesters arranged themselves to form a giant heart in the middle of the Square, made their way to international media reports.

The human chain across Charles Bridge, recreating the flag of Belarus, should provide an even bigger opportunity for visual impact.

According to the organizers, the inspiration for the event comes from the August 23, 1989 Baltic Way (or Baltic Chain), during which an estimated two million people joined hands across Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania in a human chain that spanned 675.5 kilometers for a peaceful protest against Soviet rule.

Months later, following the similar Velvet Revolution in the Czech Republic, the Iron Curtain was torn down and former Soviet Bloc states gained their freedom.

The Prague event on Charles Bridge will occur exactly 31 years after the Baltic Way in coordination with similar events across Europe and perhaps the world, during which Belorussians abroad and other supporters will join hands in support of Belarus.

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An estimated 25-30,000 people are expected to join hands from Vilnius, Lithuania to Talinn, Estonia on Sunday to recreate a portion of the Baltic Way and show support for Belarus.

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