Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya addressed Belarusians on August 9, which has been declared the International Day of Solidarity with Belarus:
“It has been 3 years. All this time, they tried to take away our dreams. Take away our loved ones. Our freedom. Our homeland. Take away our independence. But all the pain we have endured did not make us lose compassion. We have tasted hatred, but preserved mercy. We have gone through trials, but we also gained even more experience. And we keep moving forward.
I know it is never easy. And with each new challenge, it becomes increasingly difficult to stay resolute in our actions. But the choice is only ours to make: forfeit what we have done in three years, to be disappointed in ourselves and in our people – or keep all the important moments in our memory, keep in our hearts those whom we have lost along the way. And keep moving forward with love for those who stand by us and trust in those who will come after us”.
