MINSK, March 25: Thousands of opposition supporters braved a massive security lockdown in the Belarus capital on Saturday to attend a rally against President Alexander Lukashenko, which was marred later by a clash with police and the arrest of a key opposition figure.

Top opposition leader Alexander Milinkevich had called the unauthorised rally after a week of unprecedented protests against Mr Lukashenko’s disputed re-election to a third term in office on March 19.

Mr Milinkevich, who officially won a tiny share of the vote at the election, likened the task of ousting Mr Lukashenko to storming a fortress, as he addressed about 7,000 people in Minsk’s Yanka Kupala park.

“This assault will not go on for five years. It will happen soon,” Mr Milinkevich told the crowd of supporters, who chanted “Truth! Truth!” and “Freedom!”. The five years referred to the Belarussian president’s term.

Surging crowds of opposition supporters earlier engaged in a lengthy stand-off with thousands of riot police and special forces along Minsk’s main avenue as they tried to reach October Square, the site of protests throughout the week.

Security men said through megaphones that the square was closed because of work to remove an open-air ice rink there, as a fleet of bulldozers scraped away ice and snow.

The crowd eventually snaked in a column through side streets to the park, where Mr

Milinkevich addressed them beneath a massive statue of Kupala, a celebrated Belarussian author.

Following the rally another opposition candidate in the presidential election, Alexander Kozulin, was detained along with other activists in a clash with security forces.—AFP