Several thousand factory workers took to the streets of Minsk on Monday, demanding the resignation of authoritarian Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko. It was the ninth straight day of protesting against the results of an election that extended his 26-year rule.

Nearly 5,000 workers from the Minsk Tractor Works plant marched down the streets, demanding that Lukashenko step down and cede his post to Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the leading opposition candidate.

Lukashenko addressed a few workers at a plant, where he was called a 'liar', reported the Guardian. To the demands of a fair polls, he said, "We held elections, and as long as you don't kill me, there won't be any other elections."

The European Union leaders will meet on Wednesday to discuss the Belarus election and the crackdown in the wake of the polls. "The people of Belarus have the right to decide on their future and freely elect their leader. Violence against protesters is unacceptable and can't be allowed," European Council President Charles Michel tweeted on Monday.

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