The day of solidarity with Belarus on Oct. 16 that I talk about was an outstanding success, even moreso than I thought it would be. Over 100,000 people lit candles in their windows all around Belarus on Sunday in a form of protest yet unseen in this country, where protestors are roundly beaten and arrested.

More than 100,000 citizens of Belarus have taken part in the Day of Solidarity on October 16. The action has been supported in many Belarusian towns and in many countries of the world. In this connection representatives of the civil society of Belarus proposed continuing holding Days of Solidarity with political prisoners, disappeared oppositionists, their families, independent journalists, with all who fight for freedom and democracy in Belarus, on the 16th day of every month. They called upon the Belarusians to switch off the light in their apartments on November 16, 2005 at 8 p.m., and to light candles of Freedom. ???????According to our estimation, more than 100,000 people have taken part in the action on October 16, and about 500,000 have been informed about it. It is very good for a start. We offer holding the next solidarity action on November 16. Now we have almost a month to make every endeavour so that a considerably large quantity of people would take part in the action in November. Probably, it would be difficult to take people to the streets in December, January, February. But if we would carry out solidarity actions every month, we would be able to protest openly in spring,??????? told a well-known Belarusian journalist Iryna Khalip at a press conference in Minsk.

One of the initiators of the day of Solidarity on October 16, Zubr coordinator Mikita Sasim told about the result of the action:

???????The Day of Solidarity has shown that the authorities are afraid of our solidarity. I was detained the day before by KGB officers. They triad to recruit me, intimidated me, told that I would be sent to the army. After the action on September 16, when I was beaten up by riot policemen, I spent a week in a hospital. Despite of this, policemen took me to the military enlistment office in Baranavichy by force, and made me sign the summons. Arrests of other Zubr activists have taken place for distribution of leaflets with information about the action. ON the Day of Solidarity, October 16, absurd things were happening. In the houses where most windows were dark with candles on them, policemen were running up and down the stairs in confusion, not knowing what to do, as they cannot prohibit people to light candles,??????? Mikita said.

During the preparation to the Day of Solidarity, Zubr activists organized an interesting experiment. ???????In one of the houses with 500 apartments we put newspapers and leaflets with information about the Day of Solidarity in every apartment. We called every apartment and entered every door. As a result about 25% of dwellers in this house switched off the light and lit candles. Many people simply switched off the light. It shows that if information is communicated to people, the number of participants would be great. Many people are dissatisfied, many are ready actually to resist the regime,??????? the coordinator of Zubr believes.

Participants of the press conference expressed gratitude to all people who had taken part in the Day of Solidarity, and to all mass media that informed about this protest.

As said by Mikita Sasim, one of the most important problems in Belarus now is deficiency of independent newspapers, as far as most of the newspapers are liquidated, and radio and TV are under the total control of the authorities. However, it is not only the matter of lack of the press. ???????I would like to emphasize that not all mass media considered to be democratic had supported the Day of Solidarity. Unfortunately, the ???????Komsomolskaya Pravda in Belarus???????, ???????Belorusy i rynok???????, ???????Belgazeta??????? have not written anything about the protest,??????? Mikita Sasim said.

The Zubr coordinator was supported by journalist Iryna Khalip. ???????They probably think that nothing is threatening them, if they are pretending that nothing bad is happening in the country. It is a big mistake. I am greatly disappointed. On Sunday evening, staying with a burning candle by my window, I recalled our journalists???????? solidarity of the middle of the 1990ies. It is a model of solidarity for me. Just recall, it were journalists who managed to release Pavel Sheremet from prison. It was not Yeltsin, Nemtsov, not Russian politicians, but our rallies, our protest. Where is it all gone? Maybe journalists are afraid now, like everybody else,??????? Iryna Khalip supposed.

???????In such situations I always call to mind the thing my father has explained me once. We were talking about human dignity. I told that a person, who has fear, may forget that he is human. But my father said: yes, he may forget, but human dignity is an unbelievable thing. Human dignity resembles grass. It can grow through stones and crumble the stone. And then the desire to become free is to become so strong that one would not be able to disregard it. This desire would be effectuated somehow or other,??????? the journalist said.

Commenting on the opinion of some journalists and politicians about infectivity of such actions, Iryna Khalip said:

???????One cannot say that the Belarusians are kindle ignite badly. If we remember the Great patriotic War, our partisan resistance movement was one the strongest. Even the Italian resistance cannot come near the Belarusian one. And what about the rebellions of the 19th century, which were taking place every 30 years? As soon as the new generation grew up, it joined the resistance immediately,??????? the journalist reminded.

Mikita Sasim reminded that on November 16, when the next Day of Belarusian solidarity is to be held, is the day of Our Lady of Ostra Brama, a patron of Belarus,??????? Zubr coordinator said.

How interesting. It looks like there will be one every month up until the election.