From 2 to 3 thousand people, according to different estimates,
gathered for a rally in protection of environment in Tuapse
(a city on the Black Sea) on July 18. The rally was organised
by an initiative group headed by coordinator of the Environmental
Watch in the North Caucasus and member of the YABLOKO party
Andrei Rudomakha.
The participants of the rally demanded to conduct a referendum
on construction of a terminal for the EuroChem chemical company
in the Tuapse port, as well as stop oil extraction at the
Black Sea shelf.
A broad-scale campaign launched by the local authorities
and targeted at disruption of the rally was held on the threshold
of the public action.
Thus, a reconstruction “suddenly” began in the square, where
it was scheduled to hold the rally. In the night from Friday
to Saturday (from July 16 to July 17) the city administration
officials drove about the city eliminating ecologists’ announcements
of the rally replacing them by fake leaflets.
The TNT-Tuapse television channel broadcasted a running line
telling that the rally would not take place. At the same time,
local newspapers, magazines, television and radio stations
refused to place or broadcast the announcement of the rally
even on a paid basis.
However, an "environmental" issue of the paper
Tuapse News was spread in mailboxes throughout the city. The
paper (circulation of 15,000 copies) tried to convince the
residents of the city that positive changes had allegedly
occurred in Tuapse after a similar rally held by environmentalists
in May. The articles titles ran as follows: "Tuapse as
the green technologies city", "Air and sea water
are in the norm in Tuapse” , “Oil refining plant to become
a model of environmentally friendly production”, "The
green steps by the authorities", "The Tuapse River
to forget the smell of oil" and "Transport will
not contaminate the air".
Simultaneously the key news portal of the city tuapse.ru
(with a popular forum "Save the City" where the
people were actively discussing the situation and shared information
on the upcoming rally and other actions) was closed due to
alleged “reconstruction”. At the same time t was "not
closed the reconstruction of" the main city site "Tuapse.ru",
which was a forum
A rally against functioning of a bulk terminal was already
conducted in Tuapse on May 15. Then the people expressed their
mistrust to Viktor Koshel, head of the Tuapse region. In early
June he resigned. Now the region is headed by Vladimir Lybanev.
We should also note here that Independent International Environmental
Commission began its work in the city on June 26. The experts
of the commission will check the industrial safety of the
Tuapse Bulk Terminal (by the EuroChem company).
See also:
Destruction
of nature has been accelerating. Statement by the YABLOKO
party on the threashold of the World Environment Day. June
4, 2010
Protection
of Environment
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