Residents of Syktyvkar came to the coordinated picket on December 8. The action, according to various sources, gathered from 80 to 120 people — the participants and those who came to support the protesters. Eco-activists, public representatives, members of the town and regional administration took part in it, reported the correspondent of 7x7 from the scene.
The picket began near the Detsky Mir shopping center at 2PM. The first secretary of the Syktyvkar Town Committee Ilya Bogdanov told the correspondent of 7x7 that the organizers had achieved the coordination of this place for pickets through the Supreme court.
— After this [court decision], they, at least, don't turn us down, - Bogdanov said. - But the authorities did not prepare a place for the picket (snow near the shopping center was not shoveled away). The administration always makes sure that as few people as possible come to such actions.
The mass picket was attended by Deputy of the State Council of Komi Oleg Mikhailov. He spoke about the resolution, which the leaders of the local branches of the Communist party, LDPR and Fair Russia had sumbitted to the Presidium of the State Council of Komi. Politicians expressed dissatisfaction with the construction of the landfill at station Shies in it. Deputies of the State Council will consider the resolution at the plenary session on December 19.
— We discussed the importance of making such decisions in the State Council with Gaplikov [Sergey Gaplikov is the Head of the Komi Republic], - Mikhailov told the correspondent of 7x7. — He said that he was trying to solve the issue with the landfill construction "on other verticals". But this does not mean that we should not deal with this issue. If there is no result, then our public events bring greater effect and public resonance.
Leader of the Doryam Asnymos («Доръям асьнымöс», ‘Let’s Protect Ourselves’) public movement Nikolai Udoratin spoke about the importance of holding a mass picket:
- No one wants to die of cancer. We no longer want to be considered the «second-rate» people, — said Udoratin. - Moscow is engaged in "social separatism". Pensions and salaries in Moscow have never been bigger than in the North.
During the action, Chairman of the Ecologists of Komi environmental movement Nina Ananina collected signatures to the State Duma deputies and senators from Komi against the abolition of the 2021 regulations on environmental impact analysis (EIA). This document obliges state and commercial organizations to inform citizens about what they are going to build near their houses and gives people the right and opportunity to participate in public discussions of relevant projects.
— This document allows to carry out public and ecological examination and hearings. If it is canceled, the opinion of the people will not be taken into account during the construction of the landfill, - said the ecologist.
The picket was over at 3PM.
The landfill at station Shies in Arkhangelsk Oblast began to be built in July 2018 100 km away from Syktyvkar. Residents of Komi and Arkhangelsk Oblast united against the construction. Activists regularly hold rallies and meetings. They organized termless protests («bessrochka», or actions in the central squares, at which activists demand stopping the works at Shies) in 24 settlements.
