Dictatorship Is Blackout

Everyone has their own December 19.

The main memory of that day is light. An illumination that never happened even on New Year's Day. The city glowed like a bright lantern, and there were no thoughts about what would follow this illumination - only light from all sides.

Yesterday, my son wrote a message right from school: "Happy anniversary, Mom." Then my husband called, “Do you remember what day it is?” Of course, I remember. 14 years have passed, but everything did not go into the past, it is seen in detail, it is remembered in detail. So, probably, the current political prisoners, lying on their boards at night, remember the marches in which they participated four years ago: in detail, in detail, in exact intonations. Everyone has their own December 19. In different years, at different times, but everyone has it and keeps it in mind.

Many participants of that procession along the avenue on December 19, 2010, later recalled the same feelings: the city glowed as it does not on any holidays. And the frost was not felt at all, because everyone was warm from the feeling of someone else's elbow or shoulder. Or rather, no longer a stranger – close people, friendly, like relatives.

There was no such light in the city anymore. But there was a feeling of happiness and freedom. Even earlier than the very day of December 19, when tens of thousands of Belarusians walked along Independence Avenue and shouted "RE-VA-LU-TSY-IA!" ("Revolution"), and then Andrei Khadanovich sang the "Razbury Turmy Mury" song ("Demolish the Prison Walls") for the first time in history in his translation (ten years later, many will sing it, but for the first time it sounded exactly then). So, even earlier, in March 2006, there was a similar feeling on the Square. Not on the Square that was on election day, but later, when Belarusians began to drive tents and set them up. Back then, there were a lot fewer people, but how quickly, smoothly, correctly they acted without experience! The citizens reacted so rapidly: after work, they went to the square with thermoses, food containers, warm clothes and warm blankets. When the riot police realized and began to arrest people with bulky bags at the exit from the subway, the Minsk residents began to put on warm clothes, layers of clothes, so as not to give out the purpose of their arrival. Round, well-fed people came from the metro, donuts on legs, and reached the tent camp, removed layers of warm clothes, threw off the blankets that they wrapped around - and turned out to be miniature women or thin men. There was also light, and songs, and tea in a circle, and a firm knowledge that no one would leave voluntarily.

In 2020, people also glowed with happiness – it was summer, no illumination was needed, but they themselves emitted light and lit up from each other. All these years – one logical chain that demonstrates to the world what the dictator is really fighting with. He is fighting not with the opposition, not with independent media, not with telegram channels, not with courtyard chats, not with former subordinates who unexpectedly "changed their shoes". When he says “I don't fight with women”, he doesn't even lie.First, because he doesn't care what gender or age the rebel is. He does not divide them into men and women, children and the elderly. Therefore, they imprison old, small, mothers of many children and schoolchildren. Secondly, he really does not fight with a specific person, whether it is Mikalai Autukhovich or Pavel Seviarynets. He is at war with the light that people emit. His enemies are not Statkevich or Tsikhanouski. His enemies are human dignity, freedom, courage, friendship, and solidarity. His enemies are hands holding each other strongly; smiles that like-minded people greet each other with; laughter caused by the ruler's comic attempts to look like a young macho. His enemy is the light. Therefore, for two years, all the security forces of Belarus rushed around the cities and towns like scalded, looking for a candle on the window, and arresting those who lit this candle. Because dictatorship is a blackout. There should be no light and lights, light shows, candles or shining faces of people. The ideal for a dictator is a dim "Ilyich bulb" under the ceiling, hiding mold-covered walls and bars on the windows.

By the way, there are places in our country where it will be possible to provide him with complete comfort, taking into account the ideal. We continue to emit light. Sometimes with our last strength, but we continue. When we finally get together, the world will have to turn off the electricity for at least a few minutes so that we do not accidentally blind the planet.

Iryna Khalip, especially for Charter97.org

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