An unauthorized opposition rally protesting the upcoming Zapad 2017 joint Russia-Belarus exercise took place in the center of the Belarusian capital on Friday.

The rally was initiated by opposition politician and 2010 presidential candidate Nikolai Statkevich.

Around 150-200 protestors gathered in Oktyabrskaya Square in central Minsk, where opposition leaders held their impromptu rally.

"There is a high likelihood that [Russia] might leave its troops and equipment here [in Belarus] to use them later against our independence," Statkevich told the assembled. "Today we are showing that we are against [this]," he said.

At the conclusion of the rally, those assembled issued a resolution against the Zapad 2017 being held in Belarus.

Afterwards, protestors walked towards Victory Square, where they laid flowers at the Eternal Flame memorial.

Next, they walked down Independence Avenue to Yakub Kolas Square, the site of a monument to Grandfather Talash (a member of the partisan movement during the Soviet-Polish and Great Patriotic wars, a popular hero and one of the symbols of the partisan movement). The protestors made a symbolical oath at the monument, having sworn in front of an Orthodox priest to serve and to fight for the independence of Belarus.

After that, the rally was declared over.

The police did not interfere with the demonstration.