Russian city of Yekaterinburg rejects plan to build church in park

[Act_of_Reparation]

1. Here's the best part:

Vakhtang Kipshidze, a spokesman for the Russian Orthodox Church, has accused protesters of being "anti-religious".

"There are a multitude of lawful ways of expressing disagreement... but to create conflict on religious grounds is especially sad on the soil of Yekaterinburg, where not so long ago by historical standards mass religious persecution took place and Tsar Nicholas II and his young children were murdered," he told Interfax.

He added that protests "could only have been organised by people driven by anti-religious motives".

Mr Kipshidze said that while the Church was in favour of constructive dialogue with the protesters, these discussions should not include people who "simply cannot tolerate anything connected to religion".

The Church has been denied unconditional access to public land? PERSECUTION!