Belarusian football player with Ghana roots Mark Frederyk Addo in his interview with Goals.by recalled the time of his 18-month service in Belarusian riot police, “hot times” of presidential elections–2006 and dispersals of opposition rallies.
Goals.by: Dzmitryj Paulichenka was the commander of the riot police brigade at that time. I have met his several times and he seemed to be a very severe man. What was his attitude to you?
Addo: He was a good brigade commander, we all respected him.
We all called him “batya” [diminutive from Russian “father” — NN]. He treated us like brothers. He woke up at 6:00 AM to do morning exercise with us. No matter whether it is winter or summer. He partook in marathons, he didn’t avoid plain soldiers: he shook hand with them and tried to understand all their needs.
Paulichenka also dressed as Father Frost for New Year. Can you imagine this? One cannot precisely tell about something without trying it himself of herself. But friends tried to talk me out [of enrolling the riot police — NN], they said “Mark, what are you doing? They’re bots, they’ll make you a zombie!” But “zombiing” there is in mutual support only.
Goals.by: Did you disperse the opposition rallies?
I served at the “hot times” of the presidential elections in 2006, so I did.
We blocked the road in Niamiha street on March 2. I was present at the tent camp in Kastrychnickaja Square.
I did understand what was going on, but there, next to me, were the guys with whom I ran hundreds of kilometers, with whom I crawled through mud, whom I carried and who carried me...
The dispersal of the tent camp in Kastrychnickaja Square
Goals.by: Did you beat people?
I didn’t beat anyone. Only few of us beat someone. The only clash occurred when people went to release Kazulin [actually, Kazulin was the leader of the rally on that March 25 rally which was violently dispersed — NN].
That very “only clash”
Our brigade was there. It looked one way from civilians’ point of view, it looked the other way from our point of view. It was our service. We were beyond politics, It is neither good nor bad. It is as it is.
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