reporter: the evening before the protest, we meet svetlana in brest on the polish border.he doesn't want to say her last name. svetlana suffers from severe arthritis and had to quit her job as a sales clerk. now, she's unemployed, an invalid, and unable to take many of the few jobs available. the government labels her a parasite and threatens to impose penalties. svetlana: many are poor, many are hungry. some even kill themselves because they're unemployed. and they're going to punish these people? yes, i have a car -- am i supposed to sell it? or sell my kidneys? or the sofa my daughter sleeps on? yes, we've got a nice sofa, but we bought it long ago when i was working. reporter: svetlana's husband is a truck driver and the family's sole provider. he's on the road a lot. svetlana draws no state benefits, but she still faces the so-called parasite tax. she's calling for the decree to be abolished. basta, it says -- enough. svetlana: we'll see what happens. it can't get any worse, so i'm not afraid. we're all so tired of living in fear. we want change. reporter: the next da