Belarussian riot police have ended a five-day protest by opposition supporters over the re-election of President Alexander Lukashenko at a downtown square in Minsk.

Riot police arrived at the city's October Square in the early hours of Friday morning, taking away about 200 demonstrators in police trucks.

Dozens of police wearing riot helmets and carrying batons surrounded the protesters in their makeshift tent camp in the square and told them to disperse, but protestors refused.

Minutes later about 10 protestors were forcibly carried by police into trucks. Other demonstrators followed without resistance. They were all taken to a pre-trial detention centre.

The operation lasted about 15 minutes. Tents used by the protestors during the rally remained on the square.

Belarus state television made a point of quoting city police saying no-one was hurt in the operation. Throughout the police action, an officer in command told his men through a loudspeaker not to use excessive force.

The opposition supporters took to the square on Sunday night claiming the presidential vote, in which Lukashenko won re-election, was rigged and demanding a re-run.

Despite the dwindling number of protestors camped on the square, the opposition vowed that Saturday's protest would go ahead. Lukashenko's main rival, Alexander Milinkevich, who was not among those detained, also planned to hold a news conference.

On Thursday Lukashenko was officially declared the winner of Sunday's presidential election, securing a third term in office.

Lukashenko received 83 per cent of the vote in the election while Milinkevich got 6.1 per cent, Central Election Commission spokesman Nikolai Lozovik said.

Source: China Daily/agencies