“Trapped inside their country by the coronavirus pandemic, many Belarusians began to chafe at the inhumanity in Mr. Lukashenko’s rule and language that had once been easy to ignore. Then came the presidential election campaign, which exposed his sense of vulnerability; of Mr. Lukashenko’s three main challengers, two were arrested and the third fled the country.” NYT: ‘Something Broke Inside Belarusians.’ Why an Apolitical People Rose Up.

+ “19 Belarusian journalists had their accreditation to work for the BBC and other foreign media outlets removed by the authorities, with two Associated Press reporters being deported from the country on the same day.” Putin passes on ‘warm wishes’ to embattled Lukashenko, as tanks are seen in Minsk amid protests.