The Moscow Times reports that Greenpeace activists gathered outside Russian Olympic Committee headquarters Tuesday to protest the government’s plan to build a downhill ski complex on protected park land near Sochi, key to Sochi’s bid for the 2014 Winter Olympic Games.
Mikhail Kreindlin, one of about 20 Greenpeace activists taking part in the demonstration said, “this is not a protest against holding the Olympics in Russia. We just want to protect that which, by law, should be protected”.
Greenpeace is suing the government to prevent the construction and the suit is to be heard before the Supreme Court on Wednesday. Earlier the court rejected the suit but Greenpeace successfully appealed it.
According to the Moscow Times Greenpeace opposes Sochi’s 2014 bid because it would turn sections of Sochi National Park into ski areas threatening the habitats of rare plants and animals.
Banners reading “Yes to the Olympics. No to harming nature”, were held by orange-clad activists while a handful of protesters in ski suits reclined under one of the banners.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is sending its Evaluation Commission to Sochi for six days in February to evaluate the bid and Kreindlin said, “we will meet the Evaluation Commission and make sure they are aware that Russia is breaking its own laws on protecting the environment, adding that the IOC informed Greenpeace it was examining the complaint.
