Vilnius dwellers protest against vehicle traffic in main street
Posted by editor on 6/29/10 • Categorized as Opinion • 
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Local residents are outraged by a recent Vilnius municipality decision to allow vehicle traffic on Gedimino prospect from 6 am until midnight. A friendly protest action with dances and tea drinking ceremonies was organised on the street last weekend.
Politicians state that the businesses in the main street of the central Vilnius would profit from the allowance of the traffic through it, but people have organised a creative action “Live long, Gedimimo prospect” against the decision.
The participants of the friendly protests gave green balloons to passers-by, as a symbol of ecology, drank tea sitting on the rugs straight on the street, painted, chatted, listened to the music and even danced the lindy-hop.
Games were played, soap bubbles blown, photo sessions taken and other activities were held in the prospect.
The organiser of the action, the head of Ekoinstitutas (an independent Institute of Ecology) Salvinija Simonaityte told Alfa.lt that it was easy to implement the idea of the event.
“People were very interested, many young people were willing to participate and express their opinion. I don’t think that letting the traffic in Gedimino prospect is going to do any help for businesses – on the contrary. If it is cosy to sit down in a cafe on the street now, it will surely be not when the traffic is here. The noise and the pollution will increase,” Simonaityte said.
She expressed hope that the capital‘s government will withdraw the decision.
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