In Saratov, a major city on the Volga River, security forces detained activists who were trying to prevent the gates of a children’s park from being welded shut.

In Saratov, a major city on the Volga River, police detained four activists who tried to stop workers from welding shut the gates of the “Childhood Territory” park. This was reported by “7×7—Horizontal Russia.”

Later, security forces released two women. Those still in detention include a local resident from the neighbourhood near the park and a woman accused of insulting police officers.

At the beginning of July, the Saratov Regional Court rejected a lawsuit filed by local residents protesting plans to develop part of the park for a new school. The new school is to be named in honour of participants in the war in Ukraine.

“Childhood Territory” is the only park in the Leninsky district of the city. Instead of new construction, activists have proposed building a new school building next to the existing one.

17:43 Police took fingerprints from those detained and released them from police station No. 7 without drawing up any reports, reports “7×7—Horizontal Russia.”

An elderly woman said she tried to walk through the park but found all the entrances near her home had been welded shut. According to the elderly woman, she was detained because she expressed her frustration over this.