Thursday
21 february 2008
13:33
Border region residents lift blockade of Rava-Ruska checkpoint - scared by video cameras
Ukrainians protesting tight border crossing procedures lifted their blockade of the Rava-Ruska checkpoint Feb. 20, the ZIK correspondent reported Feb. 21. The blockade was lifted following a meeting of Zhovkva rayon administration head Mykhailo Zabolotsky who assured the agreement on easy travel for near-border residents is to be signed in February. -However, according to one of the protesters, the blockade was lifted because protesters were scared of video cameras used by the police to film the conflict.
The scene was visited by many journalists Feb. 20, but protesters refused to be interviewed, saying they were not sure they were talking to the press, not plainclothes policemen, who could use footage to prosecute them. On the other hand, they readily told about their demands – on condition of anonymity, saying tight border procedures deprived them of incomes they earn by reselling tobacco and booze in Poland.
Comment by ZIK
On Feb. 19, about 100 Ukrainians living in near-border areas blocked traffic through the Rava-Ruska checkpoint, barring everyone, even Polish diplomats, to cross the border.
They demanded that Ukrainian and Polish officials urgently sign and enforce an agreement on easy travel for them.
Only Ukrainians were allowed to cross the border into Ukraine, saying they were angry with new regulations imposed by the Schengen treaty which complicate visa application procedures for Ukrainians.
The protest took Ukrainians them well into the night of Feb. 20, with the line of stalled vehicles reaching 2,000.
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