The Kremlin believes that the local authorities in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg are acting appropriately in the conflict linked to protests against a planned new church, presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Wednesday
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 15th May, 2019) The Kremlin believes that the local authorities in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg are acting appropriately in the conflict linked to protests against a planned new church, presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Wednesday.The prospective church of St. Catherine is expected to take up the spot of a park in the center of Yekaterinburg. The protests against the church construction began on Monday. The governor of Russia's fourth-largest city, Yevgeny Kuivashev, said that protesters argued with the security staff at the construction site, "toppled the fence, refused to leave and demanded that the park be kept." At the same time, he urged for dialogue between those who had wanted to restore the church for years and those who wanted to keep the park.
"What we know is that the local authorities are talking in an appropriate manner to the residents and to those who want to build [the church]. We also know that the local authorities suggested alternative spots for parks, to organize the leisure and recreation for the residents of the neighborhood. So we can see that the local authorities are delving into the matter. On the other hand, this work should apparently be continued," Peskov said.
The presidential spokesman remarked that such situations were for the local authorities to handle.
"And we can see them working," Peskov said, when asked how the Kremlin thought the conflict should be settled.
After talks, the local authorities said the construction would continue. The protests resumed on Tuesday.
On Wednesday, the local office of the Interior Ministry said that 26 protesters had been written up on hooliganism.
Meanwhile, over 40,000 people have signed a petition calling for the park to be preserved.
"Let us reiterate: we are not against churches. We are for equality and for our opinion to be heard. The majority of us are Orthodox," the change.org petition said, arguing there were already enough cathedrals within walking distance.
The activists complained that the city had an "extremely low" tree planting rate, claiming that the actual level was even lower.
