On Monday, a protest was organised at the Lithuanian-Belarusian border, during which truck traffic was blocked. The protesters aimed to encourage the Lithuanian government to cut trade links with the Belarusian regime.
“We drove our cars to the border with Belarus and blocked the passage. We let the cars through, but not the trucks,” Karolis (name changed for safety reasons), told LRT.lt.
According to him, Russian and Belarusian drivers aggressively reacted to the protest.
“Around 150 Belarusian and Russian drivers approached us, threatening, provoking, shouting slogans praising Russia, as well as the ones ridiculing Ukraine,” Karolis said. “Several times, Lithuanians, who were peacefully protesting, were pushed, one car was arbitrarily pushed by truck drivers, and the door handle was broken.”
According to Karolis, police officers arrived at the border with Belarus to calm the situation and told them to stop the protest and disperse.
Ramūnas Matonis, a spokesman for the Police Department, told LRT.lt that several police crews had arrived at the border with Belarus.
“We know that the road was blocked. The police arrived, and everyone dispersed. Now that the organisers [of the protest] have been identified, we are considering whether to launch some legal investigations,” Matonis said.
According to Giedrius Mišutis, a representative of the State Border Guard Service (VSAT), the work of the border guards had not been disrupted, as the protest took place around five kilometres away from the border checkpoint.
According to him, around 100 people, both protesters and truck drivers, gathered at the scene, chanting slogans and building tension.
“The conflict could have been more serious if not for the border guards and police. No force was needed, but the road was blocked by protesters for 40 minutes,” the VSAT spokesperson said.
The protesters did not have a permit and were told that they should obtain one, he added.
Newsletter
Every Friday morning.
