Belarus erupts in protest after opposition alleges rigged election - Business Insider

Police deployed rubber bullets, tear gas, and water cannons against protesters in the capital of Belarus on Sunday after the country's long-time ruler, Alexander Lukashenko, claimed just under 80% of the vote in an election widely viewed by the public as rigged.

Following the vote, in which the leading opposition candidate scored just single digits, thousands took to the streets of Minsk, Reuters reported.

But in the lead-up to Sunday's election, tens of thousands of people attended rallies led by Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, a 37-year-old presidential candidate whose campaign manager was detained on Saturday, the BBC reported.

I ask my voters to prevent provocations," Tikhanovskaya said Sunday, per Reuters.