900 reported arrested in Belarus protests

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — A human rights group in Belarus says more than 900 people have been arrested in protests around the country calling for authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko to step down.

Sunday’s demonstrations continued the wave of near-daily protests that have gripped Belarus since early August. In the capital Minsk, police wielded clubs and used tear gas and water cannons to disperse thousands of demonstrators.

The Viasna human rights organization reported detentions at demonstrations in other cities, including Vitebsk and Gomel. It said some of those detained were beaten by police.

Many of the demonstrators carried placards commemorating Raman Bandarenka, an opposition supporter who died Thursday after reportedly being beaten in police detention.