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The incinerator war

in an attempt to stop operation of hazardous waste plant in Izmit, Turkey, Greenpeace activists blocked the entrance of the plant recently. The incinerator had been operating despite a closure order from the nation's ministry of environment. Kocaeli Environmental Protection Association ( kepa ), a local environmental group, also took part in the demonstration.

Two Greenpeace activists and one from kepa chained themselves to the gate with special throat cuffs to make it difficult for the security to remove them and allow the waste trucks from entering the plant. Others chained themselves to the entrance. One of the protesters was hurt in the interface between the security staff and the protesters. A month earlier, Greenpeace had launched a legal process against the officials responsible for illegally operating the incinerator. It had appealed to the ministry of internal affairs and environment that the head of the environment protection agency be punished for overlooking the operation. The demonstrators intend to continue the siege until Izmit closes the plant.

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