More than a million Belarusian citizens attended festivities held across the country at the end of last week on the occasion of Belarus’ Independence Day observed on July 3, Alyaksandr Barsukow, a senior official of the interior ministry, said at a news conference held in Minsk on Monday.
Around 30,000 people arrived at the Minsk City Hero obelisk on Peramozhtsaw Avenue on Saturday evening to watch a concert and a fireworks display, he said, noting that a total of 300,000 people attended other festivities held in Minsk on July 3.
More than 15,000 police officers and servicemen of the Interior Troops were deployed across the country. In Minsk, around 4,000 policemen were on duty.
As for crime statistics, Mr. Barsukow said that one robbery and three hooliganism acts were recorded in Minsk on July 3. The number of crimes was two times lower than usual, and they were all solved, he said.
Only three people were brought to sobering-up stations in Minsk, and policemen were lenient to those caught drinking beer in the street, only warning them against the offense rather than imposing punishment, he said.
Vital Pyakuryn, a departmental head at the emergency management ministry, said that no fires or other accidents had been recorded in the country.
More than 400 rescue workers kept vigil in Minsk alone between July 1 and 4 to respond to emergencies, according to him.
