Woman Punched by Police Officer During Rally in Minsk Region

A woman was punched by a police officer during a “March of Heroes” rally outside a shopping mall in Zhodino, a city in Belarus’s Minsk Region, on September 13, according to local reports.

This clip from Tut.by shows a woman approaching a police officer while holding a mobile phone in front of her. The officer then punches her and she falls to the ground.

Belarus’s Ministry of Internal Affairs issued a statement on the incident via Telegram, saying that the incident occurred after a crowd of people surrounded traffic inspectors outside the shopping mall and police attempted to disperse them.

“Suddenly a woman came out of the crowd and rushed to the police officer. Approaching, she sharply pointed the camera of the phone to the policeman’s face. Based on the situation, he suggested that a [punch] would follow. The immediate reaction was the use of physical force for self-defense and detention,” the statement said. Credit: TUT.by via Storyful