Russia's North rally against a giant landfill for Moscow garbage

Around 2,000 people held an authorized protest in the northern Russian city on Sunday. Protesters demanded the government drop plans to create a giant landfill in the region, a local news agency reported. A plan to build a large dump site near the remote railway station began to cause discontent over a year ago.

In May, Russian president Vladimir Putin said it was necessary to take the opinion of residents into account. He would ask authorities in that region and the Moscow government to deal with it by Sept. 1. Several protesters gathered at the rally voiced disappointment with the action to date. Local authorities put the number of participants at the rally around 600, TASS news agency reported, while smaller protests were held in several cities and towns across northern Russia.