Irkutsk Denies Rally for Yabloko Candidate Over Forest Clearance
The Irkutsk City Administration did not approve a meeting against the logging of forests. The candidate for the 'Yabloko' party, Petr Mezonoshin, was not allowed to hold a meeting with voters in the format of a rally, which he planned to conduct on September 15 in the dendropark of Akademgorodok in Irkutsk.
Consensus
- The city administration of Irkutsk refused to approve a rally planned by Petr Mechnoshin on September 15 in the Akademgorodok botanical park.
- Mechnoshin is a candidate for the State Duma from the Yabloko party.
- The rally was intended to oppose the logging of the botanical park in Akademgorodok.
- Mechnoshin claimed that city officials told him they thought he was from the Communist Party.
- The city administration cited lack of space as the reason for the refusal.
- The botanical park is being cleared for construction of a building for the Institute of Solar-Terrestrial Physics.
- The construction project has already begun, with a foundation poured in May on three hectares of previously forested land.
- The park contains rare trees such as blue spruces, ancient pines, and Manchurian walnuts, as well as wildlife including squirrels, owls, and warblers.
- The park had previously been granted protected status, which was removed without public notice.
- A court ruled the construction legally valid.
- Mechnoshin has previously lost an appeal regarding the protection of the park.
- Mechnoshin stated he intends to seek compensatory greening.
Points of divergence
- The rally was expected to draw 350–400 people. — tg_baikal_people
- The city administration previously denied Mechnoshin's request for a meeting with voters in the same format in Akademgorodok. — tg_horizontal_russia
- Mechnoshin was running for the State Duma in the Shelekhovskiy constituency. — tg_baikal_people
- The city administration is led by Ruslan Bolotov, a United Russia member. — tg_horizontal_russia
- The television channel 'Aist' refused to broadcast Mechnoshin's campaign video and sent materials to the prosecutor's office. — tg_baikal_people
- VGTRK sent Mechnoshin's materials to the election commission. — tg_baikal_people
Coverage (2 sources)
- Protest against logging banned in Irkutsk: allegedly no space in the forest — Люди Байкала
- Irkutsk City Hall did not approve a meeting against logging for the 'Yabloko' candidate — 7х7 — Горизонтальная Россия