“Dear Belarusians, Americans, Ukrainians,
Dear Lithuanians, Poles, friends of free Belarus,
and everyone who joined us today!
Today we celebrate Belarus Freedom Day. On this day, 105 years ago our ancestors shouted in one voice…Enough is enough!
Enough oppression! Enough tyranny! Enough suffering!
Belarusians told to the world: “We are a free, European, and self-sufficient nation! We don’t need anyone to hold our hand to guide us! We don’t want tyrants inside our country. And we don’t want them outside, either.
But no-one listened to us. Our taste of independence was eaten up the Soviet Empire. It made us slaves again. And now, 100 years later, we are still fighting this monster.
In 2020, Belarusians rose up again. Millions took to the streets to defend their freedom. We protested in peace. But Lukashenka’s terror machine responded with brutal detentions, beatings, killings and torture.
Dictatorships are like cancer. If you don’t remove them completely, they return and destroy everything that is healthy.
Belarusian dictator is not only terrorising his own people. Now he’s threatening Ukraine, the region, and the whole of Europe.
He became Putin’s puppet. And to keep power, he has sacrificed our independence and our future.
But the dictator did not manage to suppress our thirst for freedom. Despite repression and fear, Belarusians continue to fight. Every single day.
Our partisans are blowing up Russian warplanes. Our cyber partisans hack the state machine. Whilst our heroic volunteers spread the truth. Railway workers sabotage Russian military equipment. It is a race against time.
On the frontline, our brave volunteers risk their lives to help to free Ukraine. Because free Ukraine means free Belarus. From ancient times into the distant future the fates of our countries are intertwined.
The fates of all of our countries are intertwined. Because the fight for freedom is a global one. Just a few hundred feets from here, there is a monument to Tadewusz Kasciuszka. 250 years ago he came here from Belarus to help the American people to fight in their war for independence.
His name unites Belarusians, Americans, Poles and Lithuanians and all freedom fighters around the world. One of the most famous quotes by Kosciuszko read, “There is a time when you have to sacrifice everything to have everything saved”.
Right now, Belarusians and Ukrainians are sacrificing everything for freedom. So, we ask all the world to stand with us in this fight!
Today we are joined by Derek Hogan, representative of the U.S. Government. I want to tell you today: we will never forget the help and support that we receive from the American government, and the American people. The United States of America is always first in line in the fight for democracy l pray this will be true forever.
Let’s send tyranny and oppression to where it belongs. To the dustbin of history. Let’s make Europe free of dictatorship. Let’s help Ukrainians to stop the imperial monster. Let’s help Belarusians to win their country back.
And let’s do this together!”
