Police in Belarus dispersed protesters who gathered on the capital's central square, detaining dozens Wednesday in an effort to end weeks of demonstrations challenging the re-election of the country's authoritarian ruler.
The crackdown in Independence Square on Wednesday came on the 18th straight day of protests pushing for the resignation of authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko.
The Belarusian leader who has ruled the nation of 9.5 million for 26 years has dismissed the protesters as Western puppets and refused to engage in dialogue with the opposition contesting his Aug. 9 re-election to a sixth term.