You're reading: Thousands try to storm government building in Belarus

MINSK, Belarus (AP) — Thousands of opposition supporters in Belarus have tried to storm the main government building to protest what the opposition claims was large-scale vote-rigging in the presidential election.

They broke windows and glass doors, but backed off after discovering riot police inside the building.

About 40,000 opposition activists are rallying in central Minsk on Sunday to call for longtime authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko to step down.

It is the largest opposition rally since 1996.