Several NGOs try to demolish fence around church under construction

The initiative group that last week attempted to take away the fence placed in the Kentford square in Chisinau today tried to demolish another fence set up at 2 Dimo St in Riscani district, where there is being built a church, Info-Prim Neo reports. The conflict is not new. Hyde Park member Oleg Brega said that two years ago the priest cut trees from the park and laid the foundations, but deputy mayor Nistor Grozavu made an ordinance to stop the construction owing to the protests staged then. Alexei Dimitrov, a member of the Civic Initiative “Save the Green Chisinau”, said the disaster in the public park can no longer be tolerated. The people cannot rest and walk freely in the park as the priest put up the fence and does not want to take it away. On the other hand, priest Boris Papuc said that in 2010 he asked the authorities to issue him with an authorization for building the church, but did not get it. The reasons were not explained to him. The priest admits that he ordered starting the works without authorization. As regards the fence, the priest said that the City Hall did not issue a demolition order. When on the spot, the district’s head Vasile Mereacre said that the ordinance made by Nistor Grozavu was challenged and the fence cannot be demolished because there is no final decision. The NGOs promised that if a decision is not taken in the near future, they will mount new protests and will try to demolish the fence themselves, without the authorities’ help.