Polish protesters end blockade at Ukraine's border after court ruling

Polish truckers lifted the blockade at the Yahodyn-Dorohusk checkpoint on the Ukrainian border, Ukraine's State Border Guard said on May 13.

The protesters ended the blockade after the Lublin Court of Appeal upheld Dorohusk Mayor Wojciech Sawa's decision to ban the rallies on May 8.

The blockade ended at 10:30 p.m. local time. Truck traffic in both directions is now moving as usual, according to Ukraine's State Border Guard's statement.

Polish truckers started protests at the Yahodyn-Dorohusk checkpoint on May 12 at 4 p.m. local time.

The protesters limited truck passage through the largest cargo customs post on the Ukrainian-Polish border to one vehicle per hour in each direction.

Overnight on May 13, the Yahodyn customs post processed only eight trucks. Gasoline and gas tankers were allowed to pass along with other trucks, one truck per hour. Some trucks have been waiting in line for over a day, Ukraine's State Border Guard said.

The organizers presented the latest protest as an effort to draw attention to the "plight of transport companies and the threat to thousands of jobs."

Over the past few years, Polish truckers, farmers, and other protesters have launched months-long blockades at the Polish-Ukrainian border, largely aimed against Ukrainian agricultural imports and the EU's lifting of most duties on Ukrainian imports in 2022.