Authorities of the capital of Mari El banned photo and video recording at the public hearing on the issue of converting a part of the area adjacent to the pine grove area from the city parks, squares and boulevards to the area of the historical center. Deputy Mayor Pavel Plotnikov insisted on vote of the matter.
Civil society activists, calling on citizens to come to the hearing, were going to video, as there were no journalists on the event.
According to Andrei Tsvetaev, the city authorities were not interested in covering an issue of public interest. The fate of the area occupied mostly by the deserted park of the 400th anniversary of Yoshkar-Ola was actively discussed at the beginning of the summer. Then, at a public hearing, Mr. Plotnikov and civic activist Yevgeny Pirogov agreed to hold a clean-up event of the abandoned territory. It took place, however, without the participation of the first deputy mayor.
Today, a few minutes after the beginning of the video recording organizers of public hearings rendered the question of its prohibition. Majority of votes, it was decided to ban the recording of the event. At the same time the organizers of the hearing, representatives of the mayor's office, banned the filming of the television company "Region 12".
According to the journalists, the ban took the form of an urgent request, as "it is a very scandalous situation".
