Rally against "Electrozink" held in Vladikavkaz

Today, residents of Vladikavkaz again staged a rally demanding to close the "Electrozink" Factory, because, in their opinion, the amicable agreement between the enterprise bosses and the "Rospotrebnadzor" (Russian Federal Agency for Consumer Supervision) of North Ossetia is not fulfilled.

About 100 persons gathered in Victory Square, where the action took place. The held posters reading "No ecocide of the Caucasus!", "Stop chemical genocide!", "We demand to close 'Electrozink'!", "We demand independent ecological examination!", "Vladikavkaz is zone of ecological disaster!" and "People are dying for metal!"

Today, everyone could express his or her views through a megaphone. Atsamaz Khadikov, a sanitary doctor and the organizer of the action, said he had deliberately chosen this form of protest action. "We didn't want to just stand with posters; we wanted to say out loud, to tell people about the harm caused by 'Electrozink'. That is why we used a megaphone," he said.

"We are against the factory and against the agreement. It should be closed – and that's all. It should be moved to some other place, outside the republic. This is the only way out," said Khadikov.

According to his story, this morning residents of Markov Street telephoned him and complained of another emission from the factory. However, the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent was told today at the local "Rosprirodnadzor" (Russian Federal Agency for Nature Supervision) that for a week already the received no complaints about any emissions from "Electrozink".