Residents of Białystok Protest with Coffins in Hands

In neighboring Poland, ordinary Polish citizens and local business representatives held a protest in Warsaw, demanding the reopening of borders with Belarus. Residents of Białystok took to the main street of the city, carrying coffins to symbolize the "funeral" of the Podlasie economy. Due to the closed border crossings imposed by Warsaw on the Polish-Belarusian border, local businesses have incurred significant losses, with revenue dropping by 40% since 2021.

The number of bankruptcies in the service and transport sectors has increased, leaving thousands unemployed. The already dire situation continues to worsen month by month. According to data from the Polish Central Statistical Office, retail sales in Podlasie fell by an additional 5.5% in January of this year.