The demonstrators packed the sidewalk on several sides of Victory Square in Minsk. The police pulled vans and trucks to the site of the unauthorised protest.
The Belarusian Association of Journalists said a crew of Radio Liberty, a US government-funded broadcaster, was detained while covering the rally. A Deutsche Welle journalist was held briefly, while two media workers from Poland’s Belsat channel went missing.
Over 6,700 people were detained in Belarus in the wake of the 9 August presidential vote, won by incumbent Alexander Lukashenko. Hundreds were hurt in clashes with the security forces, including over 150 officers, prompting the government to order the personnel to stand down.