Citizens of Skopje have taken to the streets in a march organized by the civic initiative “Stop for Water Cement”, demanding the protection of health and the environment from air pollution, Anadolu reports.

The march started in front of the government building, after which the participants continued towards the legislative house and ended the protest peacefully in front of the Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning, where they repeated their demands for action. urgent and greater control over pollutants.

With such messages as “Profit for them, disease for us”, “We inhale poison” and “Air is not a luxury, it is a right”, the participants said that economic interests should not be more important than people’s health.

Aleksandar Todeski, an activist from the initiative “Stop for Water Cement”, said that institutions have a duty to act in the interest of citizens and that issues related to pollution and the protection of public health requires urgent and specific measures.

“Protests will continue. It is important that citizens come out (in protest) and this number of citizens is sufficient evidence that things must be dealt with so that we can all breathe clean air”, said Todeski.

The protest of the initiative “Stop Cimentos Usje” against air pollution in Skopje is related to the operation of this factory against which even earlier hundreds of citizens have protested for its relocation outside the city.

The city of Skopje has approved an initiative to relocate the factory outside urban areas, but the company denies that it is the cause of pollution, stressing that emissions are below legal values and are constantly monitored.

Skopje continues to have very polluted air, often being ranked among the cities with the most polluted air.

The Usje cement factory, which is located on the outskirts of the capital, is one of the main companies producing cement and construction materials for the local and regional market.

Source: prizrenpost