February 17, 2021
Washington-area protesters hold an evening rally Feb. 6 to express solidarity with Belarus at the Embassy of Poland. (Photo courtesy of Polish Embassy)
Six months after a fraudulent election in Belarus failed to rid the former Soviet republic of its longtime strongman, President Alexander Lukashenko, protesters on both sides of the Atlantic rallied to call international attention to their cause.
In Washington, the embassies of Poland and Lithuania jointly hosted a Feb. 6 evening of solidarity with those protesters, though attendance was capped at 40 people due to coronavirus health restrictions.
“We are all with you, together, for Belarus all the countries of the European Union,” declared Piotr Wilczek, Poland’s ambassador to the United States, as participants many of them wrapped in the red-and-white flag of Belarus looked on. He reminded his audience that Feb. 6 also marked 110 years since the birth of President Ronald Reagan a hero to millions of Poles.