RUSSIA: Marchers protest Gazprom's St Petersburg skyscraper

Protesters and Kremlin critics held an anti-Gazprom rally against the state -run gas firm's plan to build an office tower close to the centre of the Russia's second largest city , which is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. About 4,000 demonstrators marched on Saturday (September 8) to protest against state-run gas firm Gazprom's planned skyscraper in St Petersburg and Kremlin critics and opposition members like former world chess champion Garry Kasparov was among them. Yabloko opposition party leader Grigory Yavlinsky also joined the peaceful protest through the centre of the city, in which demonstrators shouted "Down with Gazprom" and "Yes to St Petersburg." The protesters carried flags and posters and distributed brochures printed specially for this march. Gazprom wants to build the tower, dubbed "Gazoskryob" or Gasscraper and nearly as tall as France's Eiffel Tower, near the centre of the city which is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The protesters think the skyscraper will destroy the beauty and the charm of their city. "The construction of this building will destroy the main thing of which St Petersburg is being proud of. I have visited many cities in the world, have actually seen all the Europe's capitals and can say that St Petersburg is unique in its harmony and this harmony which is otherwise can be described as "Sky line" (of the city) makes St Petersburg different. That is why any kind of rude intrusion destroys the very thing we are proud of, it is the music written in stone," said prominent lawyer Yury Shmidt during at the rally. Yavlinsky thinks the skyscraper is just ugly criticises authorities for imposing their will on the city. "The authorities should not do thing by force. They have no right to impose on their people things which they do not want, the things the city does not want. They have no right to do it," said he. The campaign to stop the tower is one of the biggest protests during Vladimir Putin's seven years as president and may give liberal opponents a chance to win back some public support. Russia's divided liberal opposition has so far failed to create a unified party capable of overcoming the seven-percent barrier required to win seats in a parliamentary election in December. City authorities refused permission for the protest to take place on St.Petersburg's main thoroughfare but allowed it to march on narrow side streets. In the past, police cracked down on marches led by Kasparov and his supporters from The Other Russia movement in various Russian cities but there were no violent incidents during Saturday's demonstration.

ITN Source | September 9, 2007

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