Official Vilnius has faced mass discontent.
The National Association of Road Carriers Linava held a protest due to the detention in Minsk of hundreds of Lithuanian trucks, with about 70 trucks from Lithuanian carriers lined up on Gediminas Avenue and around 100 protesters demanding a specific plan from the government to resolve the issue and the release of the trucks or compensation payments.
"Our goal is to draw the attention of the government and the public to the scale of the crisis, to explain that the information about the numbers and other data provided by the government and the Seimas is not always accurate. We want a clear plan based on dates and actions regarding how the vehicles will be returned or compensation will be urgently paid. We want to ensure that the decision-making process does not stall," said the president of the National Association of Road Carriers Linava, Erlandas Mikėnas, to the protesters from the stage near the Seimas.
"We would go to protest in Belarus if we were paying taxes there. As long as we are paying into the Lithuanian budget, we will protest in Lithuania and file claims for damages against Lithuania," he added.
During the protest, the carriers announced a petition demanding that government representatives publish a specific action plan within 72 hours for the return of Lithuanian trucks detained by Belarus, as well as for compensation for actual losses incurred by the carriers.
Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė reiterated that the government is not considering compensation for the carriers' losses, as this should be done by Minsk.
"The Belarusian side detained the carriers' vehicles. It is quite logical to turn to Belarus for compensation for damages," Ruginienė stated to journalists at the government on Wednesday.
According to Mikėnas, the situation in Belarus remains critical, and the crisis has affected not only companies and workers but also the country's economy: "Carriers are angry, disappointed — their trucks are standing on the other side of the border, and their existence is on the brink of collapse."
Earlier, a protest against threats to media freedom and amendments to the Law on Lithuanian National Radio and Television (LRT) initiated by the ruling party took place in Vilnius near the National Library of Martynas Mažvydas.
According to the police, about 10,000 people gathered near the Seimas.
The protesters held signs reading "For free speech and media freedom," "Hands off," "Nothing stinks here, let us work!" depicting President Gitanas Nausėda, Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė, leader of the Social Democrats Mindaugas Sinkevičius, and chairman of the "Dawn of Nyamunas" party Remigijus Žemaitaitis, as well as a sign reading "Nausėda is a disgrace to Lithuania."
Before the protest began, a brass band played on the steps of the Mažvydas Library, and during the event, the crowd chanted: "Hands off!", "You will not take away our free speech."
"We are here to ensure that this government does not take over our public broadcaster. To the thousands of people watching us now on their computers and screens, thank you for being here with us, so that this government does not take over our independent media," addressed the protesters radio LRT journalist Edvardas Kubilius.
He stated that the authorities "are trying to take away free speech from the people."
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