Proposal in the Parliament: Prohibition of Blockades of Key Roads

AUTHOR:M.J. GDNUS

Blockades of highways, expressways, main, regional or local roads and border crossings will be prohibited if those protesting thereby prevent or hinder traffic and the movement of other citizens.

This is stated in the proposed amendments to the Law on Public Assemblies and Public Events proposed by the deputies of the ruling majority.

Those who do not comply with the above are subject to fines of 500 to 10,000 euros.

"A new point has been introduced that specifically sanctions the holding of public gatherings on highways, main, regional and local roads, as well as at border crossings, if this prevents or hinders traffic, endangers safety or restricts the movement of citizens, which represents a significant novelty in the normative framework of traffic and public safety," the explanatory memorandum to the regulation states.

The Draft Law states, among other things, that the organizer or leader of a gathering will also be punished if he or she does not immediately inform the participants of the public gathering that the gathering has been interrupted and/or does not request that the participants disperse peacefully.

"A fine of 50 to 100 euros shall be imposed on the leader of a gathering if: he or she fails to allow unhindered passage of police vehicles, emergency medical services, fire engines and vehicles of other services necessary for maintaining peace and order at a public gathering," states the Draft Law on Amendments to the Law on Public Gatherings and Public Events.

The Draft Law, as stated in the explanatory memorandum, separates liability between legal and natural persons.

In addition to the legal entity as the organizer, the responsible person within that legal entity may also be sanctioned with fines of 3,000 to 5,000 euros, while the natural person as the organizer is liable to a fine of 1,000 to 2,000 euros, and a participant in a gathering who violates the new regulation is fined 500 to 2,000 euros.