Kremlin doesn't approve of law breaches in church construction protests in Yekaterinburg
MOSCOW. May 15 (Interfax) - The violations of the law during the protests against the construction of a church in central Yekaterinburg are unacceptable, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said.
"Unauthorized assemblies, especially those involving actions that contradict current legislation, are not something that can be approved of," Peskov said on Wednesday, responding to journalists' request to comment on the situation with the construction of a church in central Yekaterinburg.
"Of course, it's something that makes necessary certain work of the law enforcement agencies," he said.
Responding to a question as to whether the Kremlin would be intervening in the conflict between residents and church builders, Peskov said: "Generally, such situations are a prerogative of the local authorities, and we see that they are doing their work."
"The local authorities are talking to the people and the builders entirely appropriately," Peskov said. "The local authorities have offered alternative sites for organizing public gardens and places for recreation and leisure for the citizens and residents of this neighborhood," he said.
"That is, we are stating that the local authorities are trying to get to the bottom of this situation. At the same time, apparently this work needs to continue," Peskov said.
The Urban Development and Architecture Council voted in October 2018 for building St. Catherine's Church in the park on Oktyabrskaya Square. City residents raised objections. A group of citizens filed a referendum request with the City Elections Commission but this was refused.
Yekaterinburg residents held their first unauthorized protest after the construction site was fenced off. The protest started on Monday evening and continued through to Tuesday morning.
The second unauthorized protest against the construction of a church in the park on Oktyabrskaya Square took place on Tuesday. Twenty-six participants were detained, a representative of the Sverdlovsk Regional Ministry of Public Security told Interfax.