Spontaneous protest of drivers at Bruzgi border crossing point
The spontaneous rally of protest against a new customs
fee took place on 12 June evening at the border crossing point Bruzgi in
the Hrodna region. The action was dispersed by the riot police with the use of
tear gas and police gear. 22 protesters were detained.
The matter is that according to the new customs rules the people who go abroad
more often than once in five days must pay a special fee. As a result, many
people had to return home. Thus, the number of the cars returning from the
border crossing point started to increase. As a result there took place a
spontaneous rally of dissatisfied drivers. More than 100 people took one
another by the hands and overlapped the carriage way, demanding to abolish the
presidential decree banning the export of fuels.
Soon the riot police arrived and dispersed the action. The Chair of the Hrodna
Region Executive Committee Siamion Shapira came to the border crossing point.
However, this information hasn't been confirmed officially so far.
The detained participants of the action were to be tried today, on 13 June.
However, the trials were postponed – because of the absence of judges who are
allegedly at assizes.
Human Rights Chronicle
