Belarus protests

This item appears on page 19 of the May 2017 issue.

On March 25-26 in Belarus, protests against a proposed tax on unemployed people resulted in the arrests of more than 400 demonstrators, with reports of police brutality. The largest protests occurred in the capital, Minsk, but smaller protests were held nationwide. 

The tax would levy fines equivalent to nearly $230 on anyone who has been unemployed for more than six months.