On the evening of August 14, thousands of Minsk residents joined a spontaneous march towards Belarus’s Government House on Independence Square. The demonstrators demanded a meeting with the authorities, as well as new presidential elections. Riot police lining the perimeter of the building lowered their shields as a sign of solidarity with the protesters. In response, demonstrators ran to meet the officers, giving them flowers and hugs.
Vasily Fedosenko / Reuters / Scanpix / LETA