In a late-night ruling on 13 December, the Lublin Court of Appeal upheld an emergency order by Dorohusk Mayor Wojciech Sawa that prohibits a planned carrier protest at the Yahodyn–Dorohusk checkpoint on the Ukrainian border. Judges found that blocking the only high-capacity crossing in the region would constitute an illegal obstruction of a public road rather than a lawful assembly. Organiser Rafał Mekler told reporters his group would respect the verdict and leave the site.
The decision reverses a district-court ruling issued just 24 hours earlier that had briefly re-authorised the demonstration, highlighting the legal whiplash multinational shippers have faced while rerouting freight since protests flared in early November. Although the Dorohusk blockade is off—for now—truckers continue picketing three other corridors, meaning relief for supply chains will be only partial.
![Lublin Court Bans Dorohusk Blockade, Forcing Polish Hauliers to Disperse]()
For businesses the judgement offers a narrow but welcome window. Dorohusk/Yahodyn handles a large share of finished-goods exports headed for EU customers, and its reopening should shave at least 8–10 hours off current detour times via southern crossings. Human-resources teams moving assignees or maintenance crews between Polish and Ukrainian plants should nevertheless maintain flexible travel plans; local authorities retain the right to reinstate bans or issue new permits at short notice.
Businesses coordinating cross-border assignments may also benefit from professional visa assistance. VisaHQ’s Poland portal (https://www.visahq.com/poland/) streamlines applications for Polish and wider Schengen visas, offering real-time status updates and expert review—services that can be invaluable when sudden route changes or protest-related delays threaten travel schedules.
Legal experts say the case sets an important precedent: future protest applications will face stricter scrutiny under road-traffic statutes rather than the more lenient public-assembly law. While that may deter spontaneous blockades, it also raises the stakes for organisers determined to keep pressure on Warsaw and Brussels over permit quotas for Ukrainian hauliers.
The decision reverses a district-court ruling issued just 24 hours earlier that had briefly re-authorised the demonstration, highlighting the legal whiplash multinational shippers have faced while rerouting freight since protests flared in early November. Although the Dorohusk blockade is off—for now—truckers continue picketing three other corridors, meaning relief for supply chains will be only partial.
For businesses the judgement offers a narrow but welcome window. Dorohusk/Yahodyn handles a large share of finished-goods exports headed for EU customers, and its reopening should shave at least 8–10 hours off current detour times via southern crossings. Human-resources teams moving assignees or maintenance crews between Polish and Ukrainian plants should nevertheless maintain flexible travel plans; local authorities retain the right to reinstate bans or issue new permits at short notice.
Businesses coordinating cross-border assignments may also benefit from professional visa assistance. VisaHQ’s Poland portal (https://www.visahq.com/poland/) streamlines applications for Polish and wider Schengen visas, offering real-time status updates and expert review—services that can be invaluable when sudden route changes or protest-related delays threaten travel schedules.
Legal experts say the case sets an important precedent: future protest applications will face stricter scrutiny under road-traffic statutes rather than the more lenient public-assembly law. While that may deter spontaneous blockades, it also raises the stakes for organisers determined to keep pressure on Warsaw and Brussels over permit quotas for Ukrainian hauliers.
