YEKATERINBURG, Russia -- About 20 residents of a central Russian town have picketed the governor's office in the regional capital, Yekaterinburg, in protest at plans to build a factory near their town, RFE/RL's Russian Service reports.
The picketers from the town of Bobrovsky are angry that a new galvanizing plant is to be built near their town.
They say a construction company has started felling trees in the forest located between their town and another industrial facility.
The protesters say no one asked local residents if they agreed to the construction of a second factory in the vicinity of their homes.
They say 1,600 local residents signed two petitions addressed to Sverdlovsk Oblast Governor Aleksandr Misharin and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev demanding the construction work be stopped.
An official representing the new factory's management told the protesters that it would not negatively affect the environment.
Dozens of police staked out the picket venue before the protesters arrived and remained there until it was over.
Read more in Russian here
The picketers from the town of Bobrovsky are angry that a new galvanizing plant is to be built near their town.
They say a construction company has started felling trees in the forest located between their town and another industrial facility.
The protesters say no one asked local residents if they agreed to the construction of a second factory in the vicinity of their homes.
They say 1,600 local residents signed two petitions addressed to Sverdlovsk Oblast Governor Aleksandr Misharin and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev demanding the construction work be stopped.
An official representing the new factory's management told the protesters that it would not negatively affect the environment.
Dozens of police staked out the picket venue before the protesters arrived and remained there until it was over.
Read more in Russian here