Grunwald again banned in Hrodna

On 12 July the chair of Hrodna Regional Branch of the BPF Party Siarhei Malchyk was denied permission to stage a mass action in commemoration of the 595th anniversary of the Grunwald Battle. "This refusal is only the last one of several others: in the past three years the city executive committee did not allow a single action, though all the papers were prepared and filed in compliance with the current law. Nevertheless, all planned actions in Hrodna always took place," noted Mr. Malchyk.
The chair of the Human Rights Center Viasna Alies Bialiatski commented on the Hrodna executive authorities actions in this way: "Hrodna authorities act as typical kulttreggers. They not only disrespect Belarusian history, pretending or maybe sincerely believing that all of the Belarusians' history started during the creation of kolkhozes and pig farms, and whatever had been before is waste, they also disrespect the national feelings of the national minorities, because for Poles and Lithuanians who live in Hrodna Region, the Grunwald Battle was unambiguously connected with the glorious pages in the history of these nations.