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People traveling to Belarusian rock festival in Ukraine turned back by police, artists allowed to cross border after six-hour detention

Police turned back people who were traveling by bus to a Belarusian rock music festival to be held in the Ukrainian city of Lutsk near the Belarusian border on September 22.

One bus was reportedly pulled over by traffic police officers near Dzyarzhynsk at about 11 p.m. and another bus near Stowbtsy at about 0:45 a.m. on alleged grounds of driving in excess of the speed limit. There were some 40 people on each of the buses.

The passengers of the bus stopped near Dzyarzhynsk had their names, addresses and occupation data written down and then were put on another bus, which transported them back to Minsk under the escort of an armored police prisoner van at about 2 a.m.

The other bus was driven to the Stowbtsy district police department under the escort of traffic police cars. Its passengers underwent the same procedure.

Belarusian rockers who were expected to play at the festival, including Krama, Ulis, Neuro Dubel, Znich, and Tav. Mauzer, managed to reach the Ukrainian border but were allowed to cross it after waiting six hours.

Belarusian border guards at the Makrany checkpoint, Brest region, took away the travelers’ passports and refused to explain the reason, Krama singer Ihar Varashkevich told BelaPAN. The musicians were eventually given back their passports and allowed to go. Their bus crossed the border into Ukraine at nearly 1 a.m. Mr. Varashkevich described the detention as a psychological attack on the musicians to abate their spirits.

The Belarusian rock festival titled, «The Right to Be Free,» was organized by the Belarusian Music Alternative (BMA) Group, European Radio for Belarus, and StudFarmat, a youth group. It was to take place in Lutsk’s central park and feature rock bands blacklisted in Belarus for their openly negative attitude toward the Lukashenka government. The city authorities allowed performances to last until midnight and gave their consent to a tent camp in the park.

«The main objective and idea of the festival is to draw public attention to the human rights situation in Belarus,» the organizers said. «Musicians have the right to create and play, young people have the right to communicate freely, freely express their thoughts, and listen to the music they like.»

The organizers hope that the festival will be held every year and last two or three days.