Defiant Belarus leader says no to fresh polls amid rival protests скачать в хорошем качестве

Defiant Belarus leader says no to fresh polls amid rival protests

Tens of thousands of protesters in Belarus have rallied for the biggest demonstration yet against the disputed re-election of President Alexander Lukashenko, even as the leader rejected calls to step down and hold fresh polls. In a defiant speech at a rally of his supporters in capital Minsk's Independence Square, Lukashenko said Belarus would "die as a state if it agreed to hold new elections under pressure" and accused NATO of massing on his country's western border. "I called you here not to defend me ... but for the first time in a quarter-century, to defend your country and its independence," said the 65-year-old leader. Belarus has been rocked by a week of street protests after protesters accused Lukashenko of rigging a presidential election last Sunday in which he claimed to have secured 80 percent of the votes. Al Jazeera's Rory Challands reports. Subscribe to our channel: http://aje.io/AJSubscribe Follow us on Twitter:   / ajenglish   Find us on Facebook:   / aljazeera   Check our website: https://www.aljazeera.com/ #AlJazeeraEnglish #Belarus