The picket against the exercise "West-2017" was to take place on July 15 at 12 o'clock in the Park of Culture and Recreation of Railway Workers of Viciebsk in the central stage area – in a place specially designated by the City Hall for mass events.

Chairman of the regional organization of the Belarusian Popular Front, Konstantin Smolikov, who applied as a private individual, referring to his constitutional law, asked the head of the administration of Zheleznodorozhny district of Viciebsk to allow a mass event. Believing that due to the joint military exercises of Belarus and Russia there is a real threat to the state sovereignty of the country, Constantine intended by means of a picket to express his disagreement with the transportation to Belarus of a significant number of military units of the Russian Federation.

As an organizer, in his statement Mr. Smolikov declared during the picketing the provision of public order, medical services and putting in order the territory after the end of the event.

The statements made, as might be expected, did not seem convincing to the leadership of the district administration. The deputy head of the district administration, Yelena Sharay, denied the applicant's failure to provide him with the necessary contracts with doctors, policemen and public utilities in such cases, which provides for the decision of the city executive committee of July 10, 2009, No. 881 "On mass events in the city of Viciebsk".

The refusal to Konstantin Smolikov in holding the picket was the first after this year the decision of the Viciebsk city executive committee of June 12 made formal changes to the above mentioned decision No. 881. It is clear that the two amendments introduced by the authorities are absolutely insignificant and of a technical nature. Replacement of the obligation to conclude a medical service contract with the health department of the Viciebsk Regional Executive Committee instead of the central polyclinic does not guarantee the applicant greater access to the realization of his constitutional right to public protest.

S. Horki, vitebskspring.org