Belarus allows police to use combat weapons as protests persist

Belarus police will now be permitted to use combat weapons in the streets if needed, the Interior Ministry said on Monday, as security forces again clashed with protesters who want President Alexander Lukashenko to quit after a contested Aug. 9 election.

A spokesman for the Interior Ministry later confirmed that police had used flare guns and tear gas to disperse an unauthorised rally.

“The protests, which have shifted largely to Minsk, have become organised and extremely radical,” the Interior Ministry said in a statement.

“In this regard, the Interior Ministry’s employees and internal troo