Belarusian police deploy water cannon after protesters take to Minsk streets following Lukashenko’s surprise inauguration (VIDEO)

Protesters have erupted once more on the streets of Minsk, after Alexander Lukashenko was inaugurated for a new term as president. They were met with a strong police response, with water cannon deployed to disperse the crowds.

The low-key, and unexpected, induction ceremony, which was held on Wednesday morning, sparked fresh mass protests across Belarus. Long-term leader Lukashenko has now officially entered his sixth consecutive presidential term, after a disputed election. 

Footage from the scene shows crowds of protesters gathering by the WWII monument in central Minsk, where rallies have been repeatedly held during the past few weeks.

The gathering was met with a police response with law enforcement agents actively pushing protesters away from the monument, instead of just cordoning off the government district, as they’ve done previously. 

Several water cannon trucks were deployed to the scene. Footage shows one of them dousing protesters with orange-tinted water.

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