Dozens of trucks were parked in Gediminas Avenue in Vilnius city centre and the number reached around 100 in the afternoon.
A banner on the stage read “Nobody should be left behind – return Lithuanian trucks!”.
The protest was organised by the Lithuanian National Road Carriers Association Linava and is planned to continue until 7 p.m.
Its president Erlandas Mikėnas stated that “thousands of vehicles“ are still stuck in Belarus and he urged the Lithuanian Government to take action as the crisis has “impacted companies, employees and the entire country’s economy”.
He says road carriers are disappointed with the government’s inactivity as trucks have been stuck in Belarus for a month and a half. If the situation is not resolved, truckers may start protesting by blocking key roads and motorways, he said. Moreover, companies may go to court to recover damages.
According to the Customs Department, Belarus is preventing 185 vehicles (94 trucks and 49 semitrailers) with Lithuanian number plates from leaving the country.
However, Linava claims that 4,000 vehicles registered in Lithuania are unable to leave Belarus.
The organisation is striving to obtain licence numbers from the World Road Transport Organisation (IRU) of all trucks withheld in Belarus.
As reported, at the end of October Lithuania decided to close the border with Belarus until 30 November due to contraband balloons disrupting flights at Vilnius Airport. Belarus retaliated by prohibiting Lithuanian trucks from leaving the country. They have to be parked in paid parking lots.
Lithuania reopened the border on 19 November arguing that the situation improved. However, balloons continue flying from Belarus resulting in temporary closure of Vilnius Airport, whereas Belarusian authorities still has not released the vehicles demanding for talks between governmental officials.
On 9 December, the Government declared a nationwide state of emergency due to balloons smuggling cigarettes from Belarus to Lithuania and disrupting operations of Vilnius Airport.