Activists rally in Vitebsk against plans for nuclear power plant :: Charter'97 :: News

Around 40 activists of pro-democracy parties and non-governmental organizations rallied in Vitebsk on February 27 to protest the government’s reported plans to construct a nuclear power plant and inform the public about the alleged project.

The protest came weeks after an edition of the private daily Narodnaya Volya carried an open letter by former MP Vladimir Parfenovich who quoted an unnamed source in the government as saying that the Belarusian leader had given the green light for the project, which is expected to kick off this year.

The protesters marched in small groups along the city’s streets and gathered on Liberty Square, handing out copies of the article and a Russian newspaper featuring a story on the outcome of last year’s controversial referendum that allowed Aleksandr Lukashenko to stand for reelection indefinitely.

Police officers attempted to detain the activists, but the latter said they had the constitutional right to disseminate information. “The newspapers and handouts that we were distributing among Vitebsk residents carried the necessary imprint, that’s why there were no reasons to detain us,” Yelena Zalesskaya, deputy head of the United Civic Party’s Vitebsk chapter, said in an interview with BelaPAN.

Most of the passers-by interviewed by the protesters expressed their opposition to the plans, according to the activist. “Pro-democracy forces in Vitebsk intend to continue informing the public about the plans for a nuclear power plant in our country. We may launch a campaign to collect signatures against this project,” Ms. Zalesskaya said.