An unnamed Belarusian taxi driver who helped a man escape from riot police during protests against veteran leader Alexander Lukashenko has transfixed social media users who have shared footage of the dramatic incident.
The 16-second video clip, filmed by a Euroradio.fm reporter, features a movie-like pursuit and escape that unfolded in a Minsk residential area on Wednesday evening as crowds protested against what they said was the illegitimate inauguration of Lukashenko.
The video shows a young man being chased by baton-wielding policemen in riot gear who then manages to jump into a taxi.
The taxi driver, who appeared to be waiting for the traffic lights to change, then apparently makes a split second judgment, zigzags around another car, briefly mounting the pavement before speeding away despite the angry shouts of the policemen.
Police in Belarus detained 364 people at anti-government protests on Wednesday, according to the country’s interior ministry. The protesters accuse Lukashenko, who has led his country for 26 years, of rigging the 9 August presidential election, a charge he denies.
Lukashenko, 66, was sworn in for a new term in an inauguration held without prior notice and denounced as illegitimate by the opposition, the European Union and the United States.
