Why the traditional Belarusian flag has become a protest symbol

The World
A large crowd of people are shown filling Independence Square in Minsk with a long traditional red and white flag streaming through the middle.

For more than two weeks now, Belarusian citizens have been in the streets calling for President Alexander Lukashenko to step down. Different symbols have popped up as the protests have turned into a movement but the most important symbol has been the traditional red and white Belarusian flag. And, a new paper shows that some 60% of Antarctica’s ice shelves are vulnerable to hydrofracture, or meltwater forcing its way into cracks in the ice and breaking them apart. Also, playing music in pubs and restaurants has been banned in Scotland, where authorities worry people shouting to be heard could help spread the coronavirus. Restaurateurs are fighting the idea, saying it’s destroying ambiance.


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