Protesters gather outside parliament after decision to build military training ground in Kapčiamiestis

Around 100 people protested outside Lithuania’s parliament on Wednesday after lawmakers approved plans to establish a military training ground in the Kapčiamiestis forest area of Lazdijai district, LRT reports.

Demonstrators carried national flags and signs reading “Hands off Lithuania’s forests” and “No to forest genocide”, voicing opposition to the project’s environmental impact. The protest, organised by the “For Lithuania’s Forests” movement, marked the second such rally in as many weeks—an earlier demonstration last week drew about 300 participants.

Osvaldas, a senior protester with family ties to Kapčiamiestis, called the project “a crime against one of Lithuania’s most beautiful landscapes.” Others, like Zita from Kaišiadorys, accused authorities of prioritising “business and money” over national security. “Nothing was discussed properly. Who does this serve? Not Lithuania,” she said.

The Seimas finalised its decision on Thursday, with 105 MPs voting in favour of the 14,600-hectare poligon, 12 against, and four abstaining. The site will include manoeuvre zones and live-fire ranges, with 77 homesteads affected—residents will have 60 months to either relocate or sell their property to the state under simplified procedures. Thirteen additional homesteads near the Polish border will be subject to compulsory purchase, with compensation for non-material damages.

Critics argue the project lacks transparency and disregards ecological concerns. In April, protesters also demonstrated against preliminary tree-felling in the area. The Defence Council first proposed the brigade-scale training ground in December 2023, citing military modernisation needs, but the plan has faced persistent local opposition.