No strangers to fighting for their freedom, Lithuanians banded together to form a 20-mile long human chain in support of Belarusians who are battling a corrupt government, reports Reuters.
With Belarus opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya taking refuge in the nation, Lithuanians stood shoulder-to-shoulder from the nation’s capital, Vilnius, to the Belarus border. US Ambassador to Lithuania Robert S. Gilchrist also participated in the show of support.
Tsikhanouskaya was the main opposition against Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, who claimed victory in an August 8th election with 80% of the vote in a process that has been widely criticized as being rigged.
“I am proud my nation heeded the call and came here to encourage Belarus”, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda told the gathering in his country, standing near its end at the Belarus border, Reuters reported. “We are not indifferent, and we will never be indifferent.”