Issue and Opponent: In 2018, construction began on a battery plant in Brest, Belarus. Residents nearby knew that the plant would release harmful toxins into the area and began seeking ways to stop the completion and operation of the plant.
Dilemma Action: After initial in-person protests at Lenin Square, authorities cracked down, arrested participants, and banned protest actions. The activists then began “‘pigeon feeding'” sessions which became a weekly Sunday activity wherein groups that opposed the factory would gather to feed pigeons in the square they were banned from. Later, decorating a snowperson built beside the battery plant resulted in charges and sentencing.
Outcomes: The reaction of the government reflected badly on them as “Pidgeon feeders” were fined and harassed. It also led to the growth of the movement. As Valery Fominsky remembers. “I joined the protests when they arrested [Tatyana] Fesikova. I live in the center, and I saw how police cars with their sirens going burst out of a neighboring yard and went off somewhere. And then I read on the internet that they’d arrested Fesikova.” The actions of the authorities got worse and worse. In 2019, the persecution of activists got more absurd with what locals call the “Snowman Case.” Yulia Nichiporuk, a mother of two, was charged with participating in an “unsanctioned mass event” for decorating a snowman built by her children beside the battery plant, with a leaflet and a sticker. After a trial lasting two hours, she was found guilty and sentenced to pay a fine of £9.30. the actions hurt the credibility of the government. After being arrested and dragged through the courts, many activists say that they are no longer afraid of anything.