Thousands flooded the streets in 8th day of Belarus protests after Lukashenko rejects new election

• Tens of thousands of protesters flooded the streets of Minsk, Belarus, on Sunday in the eighth day of protests against President Aleksandr G. Lukashenko's refusal to accept the results of the country's recent election.
• The New York Times reported that the crowds on Sunday had the largest turnout in the week of protests, and likely in Belarusian history.
• Lukashenko dismissed the protesters on Sunday as "rats," "trash" and "bandits," but the massive crowds join top international political figures in pushing back on his nearly 26-year reign.

Tens of thousands of protesters flooded the streets of Minsk on Sunday to protest Belarus President Aleksandr G. Lukashenko after he refused to hold another election.

The New York Times reported that the crowds on Sunday were the largest yet in eight days of protest over Lukashenko's 80% victory in an election that has since been criticized as fraudulent, and perhaps the largest protests in the country's history.

Business Insider previously reported that protests erupted a week earlier after Lukashenko claimed 80% of the vote in an election that the public viewed as rigged.

Since the initial demonstrations, reports have surfaced of police launching rubber bullets, tear gas, and stun grenades into crowds, killing at least two and injuring hundreds.

Lukashenko, who has ruled since 1994, dismissed the protesters on Sunday as "rats," "trash," and "bandits," The Times reported, but the gathering had a festive tone compared to the rest of the demonstrations as Belarusians walked freely through the city for the first time in more than a week.

The leader sparked international concerns when he claimed that NATO troops had assembled at Belarus' western border, but the organization denied any military gathering, according to the Associated Press.

—Belarus Free Theatre (@BFreeTheatre) August 16, 2020

\As protesters overwhelmed the crowd of supporters in Minsk on Sunday, the election had drawn criticism from other top political figures.

A video reported by the AP that was circulated on YouTube appeared to show the Belarusian ambassador to Slovakia, Igor Leshchenya, praising those who "came out on the streets of Belarusian cities with peaceful marches so that their voice could be heard."

Two days earlier, European Union foreign ministers agreed to introduce sanctions against some officials in Lukashenko's regime.