Brest Protesters: We Are Supported By Whole Belarus

Residents of the city are preparing a referendum on closing the battery factory.

To build a battery factory near Brest or not? – the question for the referendum... Opponents of the harmful production construction create a group that will collect signatures to initiate a popular vote, Belsat reports.

The initiative group will have 2 months for the collection of signatures. The campaign will end with success when 10% of local citizens with voting right sign up. Is there a need for a referendum on the battery factory issue, and whether it will be held fairly – we have asked the Brest residents.

Human rights activist from Brest Raman Kisliak has told the reporters:

“The referendum does not take that much time. We have been fighting against this plant for 9 months and are ready to take any actions. Officials say that there is no legal motivation to close this plant. We want to create legal motivations, when people say no to this plant, the authorities can close it in accordance with the law. [...]

Residents of Brest will not be able to participate in this referendum (only of Brest region), and this is a problem, because nobody asked Brest whether to build this plant or not. We – law enforcement officers, lawyers – have long discussed the legal possibilities of holding a referendum in Brest. But the closure of this plant is not in the competence of the city authorities. [...]

We are supported not only in Brest distrrict, but throughout Brest region, and in the Republic of Belarus. Representatives of the initiative group have been to Minsk, Minsk residents support us. Therefore, we hope for the support of the entire region...”