![Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko with army](/index.php/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2020-08/Belarusian%20President%20Alexander%20Lukashenko%20with%20army.jpg?itok=U5hy5-IK)
MOSCOW (Reuters) - The Belarus army will take over responsibility for protection of national memorials from protesters, the defence ministry said on Sunday as people began to gather in Minsk for an opposition rally in the third week of unrest in the country.
Any unrest near such monuments and statues would no longer be responded to by police forces but by the army, the statement said.