Belarusian activists in Lithuania have staged a rally aiming to block traffic heading to and from Belarus via the Medininkai border crossing, in a bid to put pressure on the Belarusian regime to open borders and call for stricter EU sanctions.
“You say that we are guests, but I think that the Lithuanian government sees us (more) than that,” said Belarusian activist Vitali Aleinik during negotiations between protesters and the police on Tuesday (8 June).
Contrary to the tents set up over the weekend, the protest was not permitted by the Lithuanian authorities.
“I cannot let you do something that is against the laws of the Lithuanian Republic,” Dainius Daukantas from the Vilnius police told several dozen protesters. “It needs to be done lawfully, not spontaneously,” he said.