In Sochi, local residents protest against construction of TPP in Kudepsta

Today, in Sochi, at the Mayoralty, the "Ecological Watch for Northern Caucasus", the "Yabloko" Party, and Kudepsta residents held a protest action against the construction of a thermal power plant (TPP) in the village and in support of Pavel Chesnokov, who was detained in the confrontation of local residents and builders of the TPP. The protest action was held in the format of citizens' gathering, and it was attended by about 30 persons. The gathering ended without any detentions or incidents.

The participants of the gathering wore white T-shirts with inscriptions reading: "No to Construction of Kudepsta TPP!" Among the participants there were many children, who wore the same T-shirts, the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent reports.

Half an hour prior to the gathering, benches near the Mayoralty building were occupied by people. Local residents recognized in them police officers, dressed in civilian clothes, and staff members of the administrative. They took photographs of the crowd. Once people put on white T-shirts, the place of the gathering was approached by about 10 police officers, who asked quietly conversing people the questions about the event taking place.

"The police officers started to question people, why they all wore the same T-shirts and why they had such inscriptions. The participants of the gathering asked the police officers to move away and not to disturb the public order," added a Kudepsta resident, participating in the gathering, who introduced herself only as Svetlana.

"Within two hours, no official came out of the Mayoralty building to the citizens' gathering," ecologist Mariya Ukhova has noted.