MINSK - Nationalists hurled chunks of ice, smashed police car windows and yelled "Long live Belarus" yesterday as police used truncheons and tear gas to quell their protests against President Alexander Lukashenko's pro Moscow policies.
There were injuries on both sides as the latest in a series of unsanctioned protests against Mr Lukashenko's increasingly authoritarian rule turned violent. The nationalists objects strongly to Mr Lukashenko building closer ties with Moscow, a policy which nevertheless has the backing of most of the population of 10 million. The 42 year old former farm boss is opposed by a loose union of prominent politicians, nationalists, intellectuals and students mainly in the capital.