Trees Are Cut Down Again In Minsk Square Katouka

Zelianstroi employees continued to cut down the trees in the Minsk park Katouka in Sialhozpasiolak in the morning of December 7.

Representative of the environmental association Green Network Maryna Dubina reported that to BelaPAN.

"They arrived at seven in the morning and started to cut in the darkness. They’ve managed to cut down two trees already. They behave very aggressively – pushing, swearing," – Dubina said.

The cutting down of trees in the Katouka park began on December 6, but was stopped under pressure of environmentalists and local residents. Two trees were cut down, another one – not completely.

As it was previously reported, in October the community "of the Roman Catholic parish of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul and St. Eugene de Mazeno" was issued a new permit for construction and installation works in the Katouka park in Sialhozpasiolak.

Earlier, local residents collected more than 500 signatures on a petition against the construction of the Katouka square, as well as appealed to the developers to consider alternative sites for construction. Residents and activists also appealed to the Minsk City Executive Committee and directly to the head of the Catholic Church Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz, asking to choose another location for the construction.

Today the initiative group of Sialhozpasiolak residents plans to discuss the problems of the district’s development with chairman of Minsk city executive committee Andrei Shorts.