Minsk honked against car tax

Photos by EuroBelarus

The protest actions against introducing fee for a permit for a vehicle to participate in the traffic movement were also held in Mahilou and Brest.

Earlier this month Ministry of Finance announced its plans to raise 1.6 trillion rubles from the car fee. The state fee for a permit for a vehicle to participate in the traffic movement will be divided 50/50 between the national and the local budgets. The funds will be allocated for road construction, repairs and maintenance. Motorists have collected signatures against the introduction of the fee.

On Friday, December 20, the traffic police had appeared long before the start of the protest action announced via social networks. Much attention was given to the Victory Square in Minsk. Plain clothes police filmed not both the cars and the pedestrians, who supported the car-owners.

State traffic police tried to “record” the protest. Some cars were stopped and reports were drawn up on traffic infringement, beeping in the city center in particular.

The protest action lasted for about an hour, with traffic jams in the city center.

At the protest militia arrested former political prisoner Aliaksandr Frantskevich. Let us recall that on September 3, 2013, Aliaksandr Frantskevich was released from the Ivatsevichy colony No.22 to remain under preventive surveillance for half a year. Three years ago, in September 2010, he was arrested within the framework of the “case of anarchists”. On 24 May 2011 the Savatski District Court of Minsk sentenced him to three years of imprisonment.

The reason for his arrest is unclear; however, his friends are concerned that he might be charged with violation of preventive surveillance for his participation in the protest.