For 12 weekends straight, Belarus has been rocked by wave after wave of raging pro-democracy protests.
As demonstrators inside the country flock to the streets in protest against President Alexander Lukashenko, they are also being spurred on from abroad.
Father-of-two Art Ledovsky moved to Perth from Belarus eight years ago. Watching the political unrest in his homeland unfold for afar has been "heartbreaking."
"My family is there. I cannot ignore what is happening. It is really emotional for all of us," he told SBS News.
Since the demonstrations first erupted in August, following the disputed presidential election, riot police have unleashed a violent crackdown, carrying out mass arrests and beatings of those rebelling against the regime.
44-year-old Art Ledovsky moved to Perth from Belarus eight years ago. Source: SBS
Mr Ledovsky's parents, both in their 70s, are among the tens of thousands who've been taking to the streets to demand the resignation of Mr Lukashenko.
Mr Lukashenko - a former farm manager - swept to power in a 1994 landslide and has now ruled Belarus for 26 years.
Allegations of human rights abuses and his ruthless suppression of political opponents eventually saw him dubbed “Europe’s last dictator” by American officials in the early 2000s.
"[It] is amazing. I've never seen anything like it," Mr Ledovsky said.
"Even the retired people, the people of older generations, usually they are in support of any regime, [or] any government. But they are on the streets as well as the students."
And while he may not be able to march alongside them, Mr Ledovsky and others in the diaspora community have been staging their own demonstrations.
Each weekend, as the streets of Belarus are flooded with protesters waving red and white flags, small solidarity rallies have been held in Australia.
"Every Saturday and Sunday, we have peaceful community gatherings," Mr Ledovsky said.
Recognising the role the global Belarusian community could play in the movement, the lawyer and IT worker formed the International Community of Belarusian Diaspora in September.
Members of the Belarusian community in Perth have been staging solidarity rallies. Source: Supplied
"It's a second job for me now," Mr Ledovsky said, adding that so far, members span almost 50 countries across the globe.
Over the weekend, the organisation held the World Congress of Belarusians, a marathon 26-hour online meeting that saw thousands come together to discuss a way out of the political crisis.
Mr Ledovsky was one of the key speakers. Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, the opposition leader who is currently in exile in Lithuania, also made an appearance.
"We must leave all doubts and fears and work together for the sake of our home land," she told the conference.
"No matter where you are - in Minsk or New York, Warsaw or Melbourne, Moscow or Jerusalem - every one of you now makes every effort to bring our victory closer."
A key objective of the congress is to push Western democratic leaders to support the protesters' demand for new elections, and impose sanctions on the Lukashenko regime.
The EU, Canada and the UK have all rejected the results of the August vote. The EU has imposed some sanctions, but Ms Tikhanovskaya said they don't go far enough.
Mr Ledovsky said Australia has been slow to respond to the crisis.
"We are a little bit frustrated with the speed at which the Australian government is reacting to the events in Belarus. Australia is far behind and I don't think it is acceptable given [its] role in the democratic world."
Art Ledovsky's parents, both in their 70s, have been protesting in Minsk. Source: SBS
"We continue to raise our concerns in concert with international partners. Australia supports an outcome that respects the democratic aspirations of the people of Belarus and their right to determine Belarus’ future as a sovereign and independent nation."
Associate Professor Alexey Muraviev, a senior lecturer in international relations at Curtin University, believes the mounting pressure from diaspora communities will have little influence on how the crisis plays out.
"I think it is going to have limited impact because of a lack of will by political leaders to do anything decisive in Belarus," he told SBS.
"For EU leaders, imposing tough sanctions would mean Belarus would slide back completely into Russia’s sphere of influence. While they are compelled to respond to what is happening in Belarus, they are trying respond in a really delicate way.
"When it comes to actual implementation, it is really limited because they don’t want to push Lukashenko back into Russia’s arm."
Mr Muraviev said it's also important not to underestimate Belarusian support for President Lukashenko, both inside the country, and from those abroad.
"He still has a fairly significant support base. Whether it is the dominant base or not dominant is a bigger question."
But Mr Ledovsky remains optimistic about the prospect of change.
"26 years. That's a very long time and many people haven't lived in any other time. Lukashenko is all that they know. So they have to find their own way out."
