The coronavirus makes Belarusians intolerant. Hysterical moods in the society lead not only to disappearance of masks and antiseptics from shops. People of different nationalities now feel the manifestations of xenophobia.
Human Constanta human rights defender Anastasia Loika describes situations when the tolerance of the Belarusian citizens is failing.
Unfortunately, an empty space in the Minsk subway around people with Asian appearance has become a normal phenomenon. Those who are afraid of viral diseases are not inclined to be tolerant, says human rights activist from Human Constanta.
“There’s nothing particularly new about it. I think there were similar trends before, but against the background of the coronavirus story, they have increased,” says the human rights activist and adds that on a generally worrying background, people are simply looking for someone to pour their aggression on. More often than not, they choose someone who does not look like the majority.
The guest of the program notes that the cautious mood of the citizens of Belarus has its advantages. People are trying to solve problems in a civilized way: they do not rally like those in Ukraine, but create petitions and this way try to influence the processes.